Governor Gianforte Bans Foreign Adversaries from Buying Montana Ag Land

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte prohibited the sale or lease of Montana ag land, critical infrastructure, and homes near military assets by Montana entities to foreign adversaries.

 The ban, which applies to foreign adversaries and corporations headquartered within those nations, goes into effect later this year following the governor’s signature today of Senate Bill 203, sponsored by Sen. Ken Bogner, R-Miles City.

It applies to corporations headquartered within and the governments of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Chinese ownership of farmland in the United States multiplied by 20-fold from 2010 to 2020. In 2010, China owned $81 million in assets of land in the United States, and in 2020, those holdings had increased to $1.8 billion.