In connection with the federal government’s ongoing national security assessment of the proposed Fufeng wet corn mill development in Grand Forks, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (or “C-FIUS”) has issued a letter to Fufeng USA requesting a further filing and deeper examination of relevant facts and circumstances of the development.
Fufeng USA shared the letter with the City of Grand Forks today (Thu) after receiving it late last (Wed) night.
Grand Forks City Administrator Todd Feland said: “After consulting with our attorneys specializing in CFIUS, it appears the CFIUS committee is attempting to determine if the purchase of land in Grand Forks by Fufeng USA constitutes the purchase of a ‘U.S. business’ under the CFIUS regulations.
“If deemed a purchase of a U.S. business, CFIUS will conclude that it has authority to review the substance of the transaction and address any national security issues that it identifies during the course of its review.”
The submission and review of the requested follow-on filing will require more information from multiple parties and is expected to take approximately 45-90 days.
Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski said: “We see this as a positive sign that the utmost due diligence will be completed on the proposed project. The City intends to pause construction work on Fufeng USA specific items until this governmental requirement can be met under the development agreement.”
Citizen concerns about the project include the parent company’s ties to China… proximity of the land to the Grand Forks Air Force base… environmental issues… and annexation.
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