Bipartisan House Bill Targets China-Linked Purchases Of U.S. Farmland
Rep. John Moolenaar and a bipartisan group introduced a bill in the week of May 11, 2026 to restrict land purchases by foreign adversaries, including China, near U.S. military bases and other critical infrastructure.[1]
The measure would bar purchases by entities tied to countries deemed adversaries within set distances of bases, ports, energy facilities and other sensitive sites, sponsors say.[1] The bill is bipartisan and aims to address national security concerns about foreign ownership of land near vulnerable sites.[1]
USDA's December 2024 assessment found foreign entities own over 40 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, about 2% of the total. Chinese holdings made up less than 1% of foreign-held acreage, with the largest Chinese-held state acreages reported in Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, Florida and Virginia. President Trump signed a national security memorandum in February 2025 restricting Chinese investments in strategic U.S. sectors including agriculture.
Much of the acreage identified as Chinese-held is tied to companies such as Smithfield Foods, which complicates debates over investment, food supply chains and rural ownership.
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📌 Key Facts
- In the week of May 11, 2026, Rep. John Moolenaar and a bipartisan group introduced a bill to restrict land purchases by foreign adversaries, including China, especially near U.S. military and critical infrastructure sites.
- USDA’s December 2024 assessment found that foreign entities own more than 40 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, about 2% of the total, with Chinese holdings accounting for less than 1% of foreign-held acreage.
- President Trump previously signed a national security memorandum in February 2025 to restrict Chinese investments in strategic U.S. sectors, including agriculture, and the White House says foreign land-ownership tracking remains a priority.
- USDA reports Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, Florida and Virginia as the states with the largest Chinese-held agricultural acreage, much of it tied to companies such as Smithfield Foods.
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