Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has ordered the agtech company Syngenta to sell 160 acres of farmland in the state within two years because it is a Chinese-owned company.
According to a Reuters report, Sanders made her announcement today at a news conference, citing a state law passed this year that prevents certain foreign companies from acquiring or maintaining land. Chinese government-owned entities fall under the law because China is subject to a federal arms export controls known as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
“This is about where your loyalties lie,” Sanders said.
Syngenta was acquired in 2017 for $43 billion by ChemChina and was folded into Sinochem Holdings Corp four years later. Syngenta is currently arranging for an initial public offering in Shanghai.
Syngenta spokesman Saswato Das called the Arkansas action “a shortsighted action” and noted the company has owned its site in Craighead County for 35 years. The company owns about 1,500 acres of U.S. agricultural land that is used for research, development and regulatory trials on products, and Arkansas is the first state seeking to evict it.
“Our people in Arkansas are Americans led by Americans who care deeply about serving Arkansas farmers,” Das said.
Photo courtesy of Syngenta
I’m sure the constitutionality of this law and action by Arkansas will be challenged.
Useful Idiot
This seems to go against our Constitution and definitly promotes hate
As a lifelong resident of Texas, I urge all of my fellow Texans to call/write their elected officials about this growing problem threatening the sovereignty of not only our state, but the entire nation. Be sure to cite this article.
I commend Sarah for doing the right thing. America must stop selling farm land to countries that wish to destroy us, this has nothing to do with hate it just makes good business sense to protect our interests.
Every conservative should be standing against any attempt to restrict free ownership of land. This law is going to be challenged now in federal court and will be found to be unconstitutional. If one state can restrict land ownership by one group, whether that group is non-citizens or not, then they can restrict ANY group that government decides. It is prima facia discrimination. The US Constitution protects the rights of ALL persons within the jurisdiction of the US – both citizen and non-citizen. Even criminals can and do own property legally.
I believe Japanese companies were prohibited from buying land after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Let’s put it up for a vote, make an amendment. Pretty sure the majority of Americans aren’t in favor of Chinese taking over American land.
With the financial constraints of today on too many US citizens, plus seeing inflation outpacing wages more & more, it’s realistic to me that Only US citizens should be able to purchase US properties/land.. The constitution was written so long ago there are parts of it that need to be amended.. The forefathers actions appear short sited by not considering the possible levels of Greed that could adversely impact US Citizens.. It’s put the US at a disadvantage for any foreign person or entity to buy US properties/land.. We’ve seen properties/land utilized more so as investment opportunities, yet this valuable resource started as a stable place to support a family & call home..
Canada’s doing it too. On January 1st, 2023, the foreign home ownership ban—formally known as the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act—went into effect in Canada. Foreigner’s were buying condo’s and reselling at double the price or using them as vacation rentals shutting the citizens out. Alot of the builldings were empty in Vancouver where the ban started. Good for Arkansas. We don’t want to exclude Americans from buying land in our own country.
Nothing good is going to come from China owning anything in the USA! I would make them auction it off in 6 months.