WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today,Representative Mike Collins(R-Ga.)delivered a speechon the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to sound the alarm onChina buying up U.S. agricultural land.
Key Excerpts
"Xi Jinping has clearly statedthat by 2049 he wants China to be the world leader—diplomatically, economically, militarily, even in space."
"China owns $870 billion in U.S. Treasuriesthat finance our debt.And they either own or have a huge portion of the Chicago Stock Exchange, AMC movie theaters, General Electric’s appliance division, General Motors, and Smithfield Foods just to name a few."
"On another alarming note, folks. Chinaowns 384,000 acres of American agricultural land. That's a 30% increase just since 2019.And on top of that, they own land near an air force base in North Dakota. That'sa clear threat to our national securityand that's what the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill is going to address."
Background
According to a2021 reportby the Department of Agriculture,China owns 384,000 acres of American agricultural land; ownership which jumped by 30% from 2019 to 2020.
H.R. 4368, the FY2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill:
Supports our rural communities and strengthens our national security and food supply by:
- Continuing critical investments in agriculture research, rural broadband, and animal and plant health programs;
- Providing sufficient funds to ensure the safety of food, drugs, and medical devices;
- Ensuring that low-income Americans have access to nutrition programs;
- Reining in harmful regulations that dictate how poultry and livestock producers raise and market their animals;
- Preventing the purchase of agricultural land by foreign adversaries; and
- Providing a $39 million increase for the Food Safety and Inspection Service to fully fund frontline meat and poultry inspectors.
Reins in wasteful Washington spending and bureaucracy by:
- Redirecting billions in the partisan bills that contained Democrats’ priorities (Inflation Reduction Act) to help America’s producers and rural communities;
- Including a $32 billion decrease in mandatory SNAP spending from FY23 levels due to the end of increased pandemic-era benefits and a decrease in participation rates;
- Restricting the USDA Secretary’s discretionary spending authority on unauthorized, non-emergency programs; and
- Directing USDA to focus hiring efforts in state and county offices to assist producers and rural communities, rather than continuing to bloat the DC bureaucracy.
Cuts to Wasteful Spending:
- Returns WIC benefits provided during COVID to a normal level, with the end of the public health emergency. Benefits will be maintained above pre-pandemic levels to account for food price inflation caused by the Biden economy.
- Rejects President Biden’s proposal for 4,700 new full-time equivalents (FTE) at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., saving taxpayers $296 million.
- Saves $1 billion by restricting the discretionary use of the Commodity Credit Corporation.
- Eliminates funding for climate hubs and climate change research.
- Eliminates funding for conservation equity agreements.
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FAQs
While Chinese ownership of U.S. land has been a hot topic among lawmakers — even becoming the center of a Montana Senate race this year — China only had a stake in 383,935 acres of U.S. land as of 2021, which is less than 1% of all foreign-held land.
What country owns the most U.S. farmland? ›
It's actually Canada, which accounts for 32%, or 14.2 million acres. Rounding out the top five are the Netherlands at 12%, Italy at 6%, the United Kingdom at 6% and Germany at 5%.
How much farmland in America now is owned by China? ›
According to a 2021 report by the Department of Agriculture, China owns 384,000 acres of American agricultural land; ownership which jumped by 30% from 2019 to 2020.
Who is buying up all the U.S. farmland? ›
Outside ownership of US cropland is drawing attention from Washington as concern rises about possible threats to food supply chains and other national security risks.
Which foreign country owns the most land in the United States? ›
Canada remains the largest foreign investor, accounting for 32% of the acres, much of which are forest in Maine. China's holdings, a primary concern of lawmakers who want to restrict foreign ownership of farms, account for less than 1% of foreign-owned acres at 350,000, a slight decrease from 2021.
Does any U.S. company own land in China? ›
USA land is sold off for profit. The United States does not own any land in China. However, the US does have a diplomatic presence in China through the US Embassy in Beijing and various consulates in other cities. These diplomatic properties are not owned by the US, but rather leased from the Chinese government.
How much farmland does Jeff Bezos own? ›
Ted Turner, the media mogul, also owns 2 million acres of farmland, while Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns over 420,000 acres. Surgeon and author Dr.
How much land does Japan own in the United States? ›
Foreign Ownership of U.S. Agricultural Land
| Country of Foreign Investor | Total Acres | Total Land Value (US$) |
|---|
| France | 1,315,748 | 2,974,709,000 |
| Japan | 636,258 | 2,959,088,000 |
| Sweden | 688,801 | 2,424,373,000 |
| China | 383,935 | 2,103,781,000 |
6 more rowsMar 16, 2023
Controversy continues to grow across the U.S., and China is the primary target of the new rules. However, China doesn't own the most farmland in the U.S., according to a new USDA report. It's actually Canada, which accounts for 32%, or 14.2 million acres.
How much land does Saudi Arabia own in the United States? ›
China currently holds 384,000 acres of land in the U.S., which is around 1% of all foreign-held acres. The total holdings for Saudi Arabian investors is about 36,000 acres.
These are large multinational companies like Smithfield Foods, Syngenta, or the Walton International Group, which are all either owned by another Chinese company or Chinese investors. There are some individuals who do own this land, though, and they've owned it for decades, since the '70s and even the '80s.
How much U.S. real estate does China own? ›
Chinese investors owned an even tinier fraction – about 383,934 acres, according to 2021 data requested by NPR. In fact, based on the data, Chinese land holdings account for less than 1% of farmland in any given state where there have been purchases.
Why are billionaires buying U.S. farmland? ›
Hedge against inflation. As inflation climbs, many investments can plummet in value. Farmland, on the other hand, has seen its value increase during inflationary periods, making it an effective hedge against rising prices. This cushion can be particularly valuable to those with an ultra-high net worth.
Why is Bill Gates buying all the farmland in America? ›
Starting in 2013, Gates began investing his billions (through the firm Cascade Investment) in agriculture because of its steady increase in value and low volatility.
Who is the largest landowner in the United States? ›
Editor, The Land Report
The Emmersons became America's largest landowners in 2021 when they acquired 175,000 acres in Oregon from Seneca Timber Company. With that acquisition, the Emmersons surpassed Liberty Media chairman John Malone's 2,200,000 acres.
How many companies in the U.S. are owned by China? ›
As of the end of 2022, data indicates the operation of around 5,000 Chinese-owned companies in the United States, spanning diverse industries such as technology, manufacturing, finance, and real estate.
Is China buying farmland in the U.S. near military bases? ›
For example, a Chinese company bought farmland in 2021 for acorn-milling facility near an Air Force base in Grand Forks, N.D. Another piece of land in Michigan purchased in 2023 by a Chinese company is situated near the nation's largest National Guard training facility in Grayling.
How much land in the United States is foreign-owned? ›
According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, foreign investors and companies own over 40 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, which is about 1.8% of all land in the U.S. and 3.1% of all privately held agricultural land.
