Chinese land ownership in US down 2 per cent in 2022 amid heightened national security concerns

Agriculture Department data reveals holdings fell to nearly 350,000 acres, just shy of 1 per cent of all foreign-held American land

But actual total likely higher as only the primary investor’s information was recorded in cases where multiple parties invested

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The amount of US land owned by Chinese buyers has dropped by 2 per cent compared to last year, but national security fears still run high in Washington. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:00am, 16 Dec 2023Updated: 7:40am, 16 Dec 2023

The amount of American land held by Chinese buyers declined in 2022, according to new data from the US Department of Agriculture, during a time when policymakers’ concerns about such ownership are running high.

Chinese land ownership in the US fell by 2 per cent, from about 357,000 acres in 2021 to 349,442 acres, and comprised just shy of 1 per cent of all foreign-held American land.

The report this week comes as some lawmakers have raised the alarm domestically over Chinese land ownership, citing national security concerns. Legislatures in several states have introduced measures to restrict Chinese land ownership.

In October, for instance, the Arkansas attorney general ordered a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned enterprise ChemChina to sell its holdings in the state.

Chinese investors offloading overseas properties

And in a first, the annual USDA report containing the data on foreign land holdings featured a short section on Chinese investment.

Chinese land ownership in US down 2 per cent in 2022 amid heightened national security concerns

Agriculture Department data reveals holdings fell to nearly 350,000 acres, just shy of 1 per cent of all foreign-held American land But actual total likely higher as only the primary investor’s information was recorded in cases where multiple parties invested

Agriculture Department data reveals holdings fell to nearly 350,000 acres, just shy of 1 per cent of all foreign-held American land

But actual total likely higher as only the primary investor’s information was recorded in cases where multiple parties invested