Cape News

Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reintroduced a bill aimed at preventing Chinese corporations and individuals linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from owning American agricultural land and homes. The Protecting Our Farms and Homes from China Act follows the Trump Administration's recent National Farm Security Action Plan, which aims to address this issue and safeguard farmland and food supply chains.

Senator Hawley stated, “China’s ownership of U.S. farmland poses a direct threat to American interests. We should never let our nation’s greatest adversary have access to our vital resources, including our housing supply. That’s why I’m reintroducing legislation to protect American assets from the CCP once and for all.”

The USDA reports that Chinese entities currently own about 278,000 acres of agricultural land in the United States, a figure that has increased by 350 percent since 2010. This significant foreign ownership is seen as compromising the integrity of the nation's food supply and posing national security risks due to its proximity to sensitive military sites.

The proposed legislation seeks to:

- Prohibit Chinese corporations and individuals affiliated with the CCP from acquiring or leasing U.S. agricultural land.

- Ban these entities from purchasing residential real estate in the United States for at least two years, with an option for presidential renewal every two years.

- Require divestment of any existing ownership of U.S. agricultural land and residential real estate within one year.

- Establish civil fines and criminal penalties for noncompliance, including forfeiture.

Read the full bill here.