Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?mc=true&node=pt31.3.800&rgn=div5
Timestamp: 2019-12-05 20:58:38
Document Index: 692982978

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', 'art 700', 'art 810', 'art 110', 'art 331', 'art 121', 'art 73', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800', '§800']

Title 31 → Subtitle B → Chapter VIII → Part 800
§800.101 Scope.
§800.102 Effect on other law.
§800.103 Applicability rule; prospective application of certain provisions.
§800.201 Business day.
§800.202 Certification.
§800.203 Committee; Chairperson of the Committee; Staff Chairperson.
§800.204 Control.
§800.205 Conversion.
§800.206 Convertible voting instrument.
§800.207 Covered transaction.
§800.208 Critical infrastructure.
§800.209 Critical technologies.
§800.210 Effective date.
§800.211 Entity.
§800.212 Foreign entity.
§800.213 Foreign government.
§800.214 Foreign government-controlled transaction.
§800.215 Foreign national.
§800.216 Foreign person.
§800.217 Hold.
§800.218 Lead agency.
§800.219 Parent.
§800.220 Party or parties to a transaction.
§800.221 Person.
§800.222 Section 721.
§800.223 Solely for the purpose of passive investment.
§800.224 Transaction.
§800.225 United States.
§800.226 U.S. business.
§800.227 U.S. national.
§800.228 Voting interest.
§800.301 Transactions that are covered transactions.
§800.302 Transactions that are not covered transactions.
§800.303 Lending transactions.
§800.304 Timing rule for convertible voting instruments.
§800.401 Procedures for notice.
§800.402 Contents of voluntary notice.
§800.403 Deferral, rejection, or disposition of certain voluntary notices.
§800.501 General.
§800.502 Beginning of forty-five day review period.
§800.503 Determination of whether to undertake an investigation.
§800.504 Determination not to undertake an investigation.
§800.505 Commencement of investigation.
§800.506 Completion or termination of investigation and report to the President.
§800.507 Withdrawal of notice.
§800.508 Role of the Secretary of Labor.
§800.509 Materiality.
§800.510 Tolling of deadlines during lapse in appropriations.
Subpart F—Finality of Action
§800.601 Finality of actions under section 721.
§800.701 Obligation of parties to provide information.
§800.702 Confidentiality.
§800.801 Penalties.
§800.802 Effect of lack of compliance.
Source: 73 FR 70716, Nov. 21, 2008, unless otherwise noted.
The regulations in this part implement section 721 of title VII of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4565), as amended, hereinafter referred to as “section 721.” The definitions in this part are applicable to section 721 and these regulations. The principal purpose of section 721 is to authorize the President to suspend or prohibit any covered transaction when, in the President's judgment, there is credible evidence to believe that the foreign person exercising control over a U.S. business might take action that threatens to impair the national security, and when provisions of law other than section 721 and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706), do not, in the judgment of the President, provide adequate and appropriate authority for the President to protect the national security in the matter before the President. It is also a purpose of section 721 to authorize the Committee to mitigate any threat to the national security of the United States that arises as a result of a covered transaction.
[73 FR 70716, Nov. 21, 2008, as amended at 83 FR 51319, Oct. 11, 2018]
Nothing in this part shall be construed as altering or affecting any other authority, process, regulation, investigation, enforcement measure, or review provided by or established under any other provision of federal law, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or any other authority of the President or the Congress under the Constitution of the United States.
(b) Sections 800.204 (Control), 800.205 (Conversion), 800.206 (Convertible voting instrument), 800.211 (Entity), 800.212 (Foreign entity), 800.216 (Foreign person), 800.220 (Party or parties to a transaction), 800.223 (Solely for the purpose of passive investment), 800.224 (Transaction), 800.226 (U.S. business), and 800.228 (Voting interest), and the regulations in subpart C (Coverage) do not apply to any transaction for which the following has occurred before the effective date, in which case corresponding provisions of the regulations in this part that were in effect the day before the effective date will apply:
(1) The parties to the transaction have executed a written agreement or other document establishing the material terms of the transaction;
(2) A party has made a public offer to shareholders to buy shares of a U.S. business;
(3) A shareholder has solicited proxies in connection with an election of the board of directors of a U.S. business or has requested the conversion of convertible voting securities; or
(4) The parties have, in the Committee's view, otherwise made a commitment to engage in a transaction.
Note to §800.103: See subpart H of this part for specific applicability rules pertaining to that subpart.
The term business day means Monday through Friday, except the legal public holidays specified in 5 U.S.C. 6103 or any other day declared to be a holiday by federal statute or executive order.
(a) The term certification means a written statement signed by the chief executive officer or other duly authorized designee of a party to a transaction filing a notice or information, certifying under the penalties provided in section 1001 of title 18, United States Code that the notice or information filed:
(1) Fully complies with the requirements of section 721, the regulations in this part, and any agreement or condition entered into with the Committee or any member of the Committee, and
(2) Is accurate and complete in all material respects, as it relates to:
(i) The transaction, and
(ii) The party providing the certification, including its parents, subsidiaries, and any other related entities described in the notice or information.
(b) For purposes of this section, a duly authorized designee is:
(1) In the case of a partnership, any general partner thereof;
(2) In the case of a corporation, any officer or director thereof;
(3) In the case of any entity lacking officers, directors, or partners, any individual within the organization exercising executive functions similar to those of an officer or director of a corporation or a general partner of a partnership; and
(4) In the case of an individual, such individual or his or her legal representative.
(c) In each case described in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(4) of this section, such designee must possess actual authority to make the certification on behalf of the party to the transaction filing a notice or information.
Note to §800.202: A sample certification may be found at the Committee's section of the Department of the Treasury Web site, currently available at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/international/the-committee-on-foreign-investment-in-the-united-states-cfius.
The term Committee means the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The Chairperson of the Committee is the Secretary of the Treasury. The Staff Chairperson of the Committee is the Department of the Treasury official so designated by the Secretary of the Treasury or by the Secretary's designee.
Example 1. Corporation A is a U.S. business. A U.S. investor owns 50 percent of the voting interest in Corporation A, and the remaining voting interest is owned in equal shares by five unrelated foreign investors. The foreign investors jointly financed their investment in Corporation A and vote as a single block on matters affecting Corporation A. The foreign investors have an informal arrangement to act in concert with regard to Corporation A, and, as a result, the foreign investors control Corporation A.
Example 2. Same facts as in Example 1 with regard to the composition of Corporation A's shareholders. The foreign investors in Corporation A have no contractual or other commitments to act in concert, and have no informal arrangements to do so. Assuming no other relevant facts, the foreign investors do not control Corporation A.
Example 3. Corporation A, a foreign person, is a private equity fund that routinely acquires substantial interests in companies and manages them for a period of time. Corporation B is a U.S. business. In addition to its acquisition of seven percent of Corporation B's voting shares, Corporation A acquires the right to terminate significant contracts of Corporation B. Corporation A controls Corporation B.
Example 4. Corporation A, a foreign person, acquires a nine percent interest in the shares of Corporation B, a U.S. business. As part of the transaction, Corporation A also acquires certain veto rights that determine important matters affecting Corporation B, including the right to veto the dismissal of senior executives of Corporation B. Corporation A controls Corporation B.
Example 5. Corporation A, a foreign person, acquires a thirteen percent interest in the shares of Corporation B, a U.S. business, and the right to appoint one member of Corporation B's seven-member Board of Directors. Corporation A receives minority shareholder protections listed in §800.204(c), but receives no other positive or negative rights with respect to Corporation B. Assuming no other relevant facts, Corporation A does not control Corporation B.
Example 6. Corporation A, a foreign person, acquires a twenty percent interest in the shares of Corporation B, a U.S. business. Corporation A has negotiated an irrevocable passivity agreement that completely precludes it from controlling Corporation B. Corporation A does, however, receive the right to prevent Corporation B from entering into contracts with majority investors or their affiliates and to prevent Corporation B from guaranteeing the obligations of majority investors or their affiliates. Assuming no other relevant facts, Corporation A does not control Corporation B.
Example 7. Corporation A, a foreign person, acquires a 40 percent interest and important rights in Corporation B, a U.S. business. The documentation pertaining to the transaction gives no indication that Corporation A's interest in Corporation B may increase at a later date. Following its review of the transaction, the Committee informs the parties that the notified transaction is a covered transaction, and concludes action under section 721. Three years later, Corporation A acquires the remainder of the voting interest in Corporation B. Assuming no other relevant facts, because the Committee concluded all action with respect to Corporation A's earlier investment in the same U.S. business, and because no other foreign person is a party to this subsequent transaction, this subsequent transaction is not a covered transaction.
Example 8. Limited Partnership A comprises two limited partners, each of which holds 49 percent of the interest in the partnership, and a general partner, which holds two percent of the interest. The general partner has sole authority to determine, direct, and decide important matters affecting the partnership and a fund operated by the partnership. The general partner alone controls Limited Partnership A and the fund.
Example 9. Same facts as in Example 8, except that each of the limited partners has the authority to veto major investments proposed by the general partner and to choose the fund's representatives on the boards of the fund's portfolio companies. The general partner and the limited partners each have control over Limited Partnership A and the fund.
Note to §800.204: See §800.302(b) regarding the Committee's treatment of transactions in which a foreign person holds or acquires ten percent or less of the outstanding voting interest in a U.S. business solely for the purpose of passive investment.
The term conversion means the exercise of a right inherent in the ownership or holding of particular financial instruments to exchange any such instruments for voting instruments.
The term convertible voting instrument means a financial instrument that currently does not entitle its owner or holder to voting rights but is convertible into a voting instrument.
The term covered transaction means any transaction that is proposed or pending after August 23, 1988, by or with any foreign person that could result in foreign control of any U.S. business, including such a transaction carried out through a joint venture
[83 FR 51319, Oct. 11, 2018]
The term critical infrastructure means, in the context of a particular covered transaction, a system or asset, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of the particular system or asset of the entity over which control is acquired pursuant to that covered transaction would have a debilitating impact on national security.
The term effective date means December 22, 2008.
The term entity means any branch, partnership, group or sub-group, association, estate, trust, corporation or division of a corporation, or organization (whether or not organized under the laws of any State or foreign state); assets (whether or not organized as a separate legal entity) operated by any one of the foregoing as a business undertaking in a particular location or for particular products or services; and any government (including a foreign national or subnational government, the United States Government, a subnational government within the United States, and any of their respective departments, agencies, or instrumentalities). (See examples following §§800.301(c) and 800.302(c).)
(a) The term foreign entity means any branch, partnership, group or sub-group, association, estate, trust, corporation or division of a corporation, or organization organized under the laws of a foreign state if either its principal place of business is outside the United States or its equity securities are primarily traded on one or more foreign exchanges.
The term foreign government means any government or body exercising governmental functions, other than the United States Government or a subnational government of the United States. The term includes, but is not limited to, national and subnational governments, including their respective departments, agencies, and instrumentalities.
The term foreign government-controlled transaction means any covered transaction that could result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign government or a person controlled by or acting on behalf of a foreign government.
The term foreign national means any individual other than a U.S. national.
Example 1. Corporation A is organized under the laws of a foreign state and is only engaged in business outside the United States. All of its shares are held by Corporation X, which controls Corporation A. Corporation X is organized in the United States and is wholly owned and controlled by U.S. nationals. Assuming no other relevant facts, Corporation A, although organized and only operating outside the United States, is not a foreign person.
Example 2. Same facts as in the first sentence of Example 1. The government of the foreign state under whose laws Corporation A is organized exercises control over Corporation A through government interveners. Corporation A is a foreign person.
Example 3. Corporation A is organized in the United States, is engaged in interstate commerce in the United States, and is controlled by Corporation X. Corporation X is organized under the laws of a foreign state, its principal place of business is located outside the United States, and 50 percent of its shares are held by foreign nationals and 50 percent of its shares are held by U.S. nationals. Both Corporation A and Corporation X are foreign persons. Corporation A is also a U.S. business.
Example 4. Corporation A is organized under the laws of a foreign state and is owned and controlled by a foreign national. A branch of Corporation A engages in interstate commerce in the United States. Corporation A (including its branch) is a foreign person. The branch is also a U.S. business.
Example 5. Corporation A is a corporation organized under the laws of a foreign state and its principal place of business is located outside the United States. Forty-five percent of the voting interest in Corporation A is owned in equal shares by numerous unrelated foreign investors, none of whom has control. The foreign investors have no formal or informal arrangement to act in concert with regard to Corporation A with any other holder of voting interest in Corporation A. Corporation A demonstrates that the remainder of the voting interest in Corporation A is held by U.S. nationals. Assuming no other relevant facts, Corporation A is not a foreign person.
Example 6. Same facts as Example 5, except that one of the foreign investors controls Corporation A. Assuming no other relevant facts, Corporation A is not a foreign entity pursuant to §800.212(b), but it is a foreign person because it is controlled by a foreign person.
The terms hold(s) and holding mean legal or beneficial ownership, whether direct or indirect, whether through fiduciaries, agents, or other means.
The term lead agency means an agency designated by the Chairperson of the Committee to have primary responsibility, on behalf of the Committee, for the specific activity for which the Chairperson designates it as a lead agency, including all or a portion of a review, an investigation, or the negotiation or monitoring of a mitigation agreement or condition.
Example 1. Corporation P holds 50 percent of the voting interest in Corporations R and S. Corporation R holds 40 percent of the voting interest in Corporation X; Corporation S holds 50 percent of the voting interest in Corporation Y, which in turn holds 50 percent of the voting interest in Corporation Z. Corporation P is a parent of Corporations R, S, Y, and Z, but not of Corporation X. Corporation S is a parent of Corporation Y and Z, and Corporation Y is a parent of Corporation Z.
Example 2. Corporation A holds warrants which when exercised will entitle it to vote 50 percent of the outstanding shares of Corporation B. Corporation A is a parent of Corporation B.
The terms party to a transaction and parties to a transaction mean:
(a) In the case of an acquisition of an ownership interest in an entity, the person acquiring the ownership interest, and the person from which such ownership interest is acquired, without regard to any person providing brokerage or underwriting services for the transaction;
(b) In the case of a merger, the surviving entity, and the entity or entities that are merged into that entity as a result of the transaction;
(c) In the case of a consolidation, the entities being consolidated, and the new consolidated entity;
(d) In the case of a proxy solicitation, the person soliciting proxies, and the person who issued the voting interest;
(e) In the case of the acquisition or conversion of convertible voting instruments, the issuer and the person holding the convertible voting instruments;
(h) In the case of any other type of transaction, any person who is in a role comparable to that of a person described in paragraphs (a) through (g) of this section.
The term section 721 means section 721 of title VII of the Defense Production Act of 1950, 50 U.S.C. 4565.
[73 FR 70716, Nov. 21, 2008, as amended at 83 FR 51320, Oct. 11, 2018]
Ownership interests are held or acquired solely for the purpose of passive investment if the person holding or acquiring such interests does not plan or intend to exercise control, does not possess or develop any purpose other than passive investment, and does not take any action inconsistent with holding or acquiring such interests solely for the purpose of passive investment. (See §800.302(b).)
Example. Corporation A, a foreign person, acquires a voting interest in Corporation B, a U.S. business. In addition to the voting interest, Corporation A negotiates the right to appoint a member of Corporation B's Board of Directors. The acquisition by Corporation A of a voting interest in Corporation B is not solely for the purpose of passive investment.
Example. Corporation A, a foreign person, signs a concession agreement to operate the toll road business of Corporation B, a U.S. business, for 99 years. Corporation B, however, is required under the agreement to perform safety and security functions with respect to the business and to monitor compliance by Corporation A with the operating requirements of the agreement on an ongoing basis. Corporation B may terminate the agreement or impose other penalties for breach of these operating requirements. Assuming no other relevant facts, this is not a transaction.
Note to §800.224: See §800.304 regarding factors the Committee will consider in determining whether to include the rights to be acquired by a foreign person upon the conversion of convertible voting instruments as part of the Committee's assessment of whether a transaction that involves such instruments is a covered transaction.
[83 FR 51320, Oct. 11, 2018]
The term United States or U.S. means the United States of America, the States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, dependency, or possession of the United States, or any subdivision of the foregoing, and includes the Outer Continental Shelf, as defined in 43 U.S.C. 1331(a). For purposes of these regulations and their examples, an entity organized under the laws of the United States of America, one of the States, the District of Columbia, or a commonwealth, territory, dependency, or possession of the United States is an entity organized “in the United States.”
The term U.S. business means any entity, irrespective of the nationality of the persons that control it, engaged in interstate commerce in the United States, but only to the extent of its activities in interstate commerce.
Example 1. Corporation A is organized under the laws of a foreign state and is wholly owned and controlled by a foreign national. It engages in interstate commerce in the United States through a branch or subsidiary. Its branch or subsidiary is a U.S. business. Corporation A and its branch or subsidiary is each also a foreign person should any of them engage in a transaction involving a U.S. business.
Example 2. Same facts as in the first sentence of Example 1. Corporation A, however, does not have a branch office, subsidiary, or fixed place of business in the United States. It exports and licenses technology to an unrelated company in the United States. Assuming no other relevant facts, Corporation A is not a U.S. business.
Example 3. Corporation A, a company organized under the laws of a foreign state, is wholly owned and controlled by Corporation X. Corporation X is organized in the United States and is wholly owned and controlled by U.S. nationals. Corporation A does not have a branch office, subsidiary, or fixed place of business in the United States. It exports goods to Corporation X and to unrelated companies in the United States. Assuming no other relevant facts, Corporation A is not a U.S. business.
The term U.S. national means a citizen of the United States or an individual who, although not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States.
The term voting interest means any interest in an entity that entitles the owner or holder of that interest to vote for the election of directors of the entity (or, with respect to unincorporated entities, individuals exercising similar functions) or to vote on other matters affecting the entity.
Transactions that are covered transactions include, without limitation:
(a) A transaction which, irrespective of the actual arrangements for control provided for in the terms of the transaction, results or could result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign person.
Example 1. Corporation A, a foreign person, proposes to purchase all of the shares of Corporation X, which is a U.S. business. As the sole owner, Corporation A will have the right to elect directors and appoint other primary officers of Corporation X, and those directors will have the right to make decisions about the closing and relocation of particular production facilities and the termination of significant contracts. The directors also will have the right to propose to Corporation A, the sole shareholder, the dissolution of Corporation X and the sale of its principal assets. The proposed transaction is a covered transaction.
Example 2. Same facts as in Example 1, except that Corporation A plans to retain the existing directors of Corporation X, all of whom are U.S. nationals. Although Corporation A may choose not to exercise its power to elect new directors for Corporation X, Corporation A nevertheless will have that exercisable power. The proposed transaction is a covered transaction.
Example 3. Corporation A, a foreign person, proposes to purchase 50 percent of the shares in Corporation X, a U.S. business, from Corporation B, also a U.S. business. Corporation B would retain the other 50 percent of the shares in Corporation X, and Corporation A and Corporation B would contractually agree that Corporation A would not exercise its voting and other rights for ten years. The proposed transaction is a covered transaction.
(b) A transaction in which a foreign person conveys its control of a U.S. business to another foreign person.
Example. Corporation X is a U.S. business, but is wholly owned and controlled by Corporation Y, a foreign person. Corporation Z, also a foreign person, but not related to Corporation Y, seeks to acquire Corporation X from Corporation Y. The proposed transaction is a covered transaction because it could result in control of Corporation X, a U.S. business, by another foreign person, Corporation Z.
(c) A transaction that results or could result in control by a foreign person of any part of an entity or of assets, if such part of an entity or assets constitutes a U.S. business. (See §800.302(c).)
Example 1. Corporation X, a foreign person, has a branch office located in the United States. Corporation A, a foreign person, proposes to buy that branch office. The proposed transaction is a covered transaction.
Example 2. Corporation A, a foreign person, buys a branch office located entirely outside the United States of Corporation Y, which is incorporated in the United States. Assuming no other relevant facts, the branch office of Corporation Y is not a U.S. business, and the transaction is not a covered transaction.
Example 3. Corporation A, a foreign person, makes a start-up, or “greenfield,” investment in the United States. That investment involves such activities as separately arranging for the financing of and the construction of a plant to make a new product, buying supplies and inputs, hiring personnel, and purchasing the necessary technology. The investment may involve the acquisition of shares in a newly incorporated subsidiary. Assuming no other relevant facts, Corporation A will not have acquired a U.S. business, and its greenfield investment is not a covered transaction.
Example 4. Corporation A, a foreign person, purchases substantially all of the assets of Corporation B. Corporation B, which is incorporated in the United States, was in the business of producing industrial equipment, but stopped producing and selling such equipment one week before Corporation A purchased substantially all of its assets. At the time of the transaction, Corporation B continued to have employees on its payroll, maintained know-how in producing the industrial equipment it previously produced, and maintained relationships with its prior customers, all of which were transferred to Corporation A. The acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Corporation B by Corporation A is a covered transaction.
Example 5. Corporation A, a foreign person, owns businesses both outside the United States and in the United States. Corporation B, a foreign person, acquires Corporation A. The acquisition of Corporation A by Corporation B is a covered transaction with respect to Corporation A's businesses in the United States.
Example 6. Corporation X, a foreign person, seeks to acquire from Corporation A, a U.S. business, an empty warehouse facility located in the United States. The acquisition would be limited to the physical facility, and would not include customer lists, intellectual property, or other proprietary information, or other intangible assets or the transfer of personnel. Assuming no other relevant facts, the facility is not an entity and therefore not a U.S. business, and the proposed acquisition of the facility is not a covered transaction.
Example 7. Same facts as Example 6, except that, in addition to the proposed acquisition of Corporation A's warehouse facility, Corporation X would acquire the personnel, customer list, equipment, and inventory management software used to operate the facility. Under these facts, Corporation X is acquiring a U.S. business, and the proposed acquisition is a covered transaction.
Example 1. Corporation A, a foreign person, and Corporation X, a U.S. business, form a separate corporation, JV Corporation, to which Corporation A contributes only cash and Corporation X contributes a U.S. business. Each owns 50 percent of the shares of JV Corporation and, under the Articles of Incorporation of JV Corporation, both Corporation A and Corporation X have veto power over all of the matters affecting JV Corporation identified under §800.204(a)(1) through (10), giving them both control over JV Corporation. The formation of JV Corporation is a covered transaction.
Example 2. Corporation A, a foreign person, and Corporation X, a U.S. business, form a separate corporation, JV Corporation, to which Corporation A contributes funding and managerial and technical personnel, while Corporation X contributes certain land and equipment that do not in this example constitute a U.S. business. Corporations A and B each have a 50 percent interest in the joint venture. Assuming no other relevant facts, the formation of JV Corporation is not a covered transaction.
Example. Corporation A, a foreign person, holds a 10 percent ownership interest in Corporation X, a U.S. business. Corporation A and Corporation X enter into a contractual arrangement pursuant to which Corporation A will provide consulting and other advisory services to Corporation X in exchange for the right to appoint the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Technical Officer of Corporation X. Corporation A does not acquire any additional ownership interest in Corporation X pursuant to the contractual arrangement. The transaction is a covered transaction.
Example. Corporation A is organized under the laws of a foreign state and is wholly owned and controlled by a foreign national. With a view towards circumventing section 721, Corporation A transfers money to a U.S. citizen, who, pursuant to informal arrangements with Corporation A and on its behalf, purchases all the shares in Corporation X, a U.S. business. The transaction is a covered transaction.
Transactions that are not covered transactions include, without limitation:
(a) A stock split or pro rata stock dividend that does not involve a change in control.
Example. Corporation A, a foreign person, holds 10,000 shares of Corporation B, a U.S. business, constituting ten percent of the stock of Corporation B. Corporation B pays a 2-for-1 stock dividend. As a result of this stock split, Corporation A holds 20,000 shares of Corporation B, still constituting ten percent of the stock of Corporation B. Assuming no other relevant facts, the acquisition of additional shares is not a covered transaction.
(b) A transaction that results in a foreign person holding ten percent or less of the outstanding voting interest in a U.S. business (regardless of the dollar value of the interest so acquired), but only if the transaction is solely for the purpose of passive investment. (See §800.223.)
Example 1. In an open market purchase solely for the purpose of passive investment, Corporation A, a foreign person, acquires seven percent of the voting securities of Corporation X, which is a U.S. business. Assuming no other relevant facts, the acquisition of the securities is not a covered transaction.
Example 2. Corporation A, a foreign person, acquires nine percent of the voting shares of Corporation X, a U.S. business. Corporation A also negotiates contractual rights that give it the power to control important matters of Corporation X. The acquisition by Corporation A of the voting shares of Corporation X is not solely for the purpose of passive investment and is a covered transaction.
Example 3. Corporation A, a foreign person, acquires five percent of the voting shares in Corporation B, a U.S. business. In addition to the securities, Corporation A obtains the right to appoint one out of eleven seats on Corporation B's Board of Directors. The acquisition by Corporation A of Corporation B's securities is not solely for the purpose of passive investment. Whether the transaction is a covered transaction would depend on whether Corporation A obtains control of Corporation B as a result of the transaction.
(c) An acquisition of any part of an entity or of assets, if such part of an entity or assets do not constitute a U.S. business. (See §800.301(c).)
Example 1. Corporation A, a foreign person, acquires, from separate U.S. nationals: (a) products held in inventory, (b) land, and (c) machinery for export. Assuming no other relevant facts, Corporation A has not acquired a U.S. business, and this acquisition is not a covered transaction.
Example 2. Corporation X, a U.S. business, produces armored personnel carriers in the United States. Corporation A, a foreign person, seeks to acquire the annual production of those carriers from Corporation X. under a long-term contract. Assuming no other relevant facts, this transaction is not a covered transaction.
Example 3. Same facts as Example 2, except that Corporation X, a U.S. business, has developed important technology in connection with the production of armored personnel carriers. Corporation A seeks to negotiate an agreement under which it would be licensed to manufacture using that technology. Assuming no other relevant facts, neither the proposed acquisition of technology pursuant to that license agreement, nor the actual acquisition, is a covered transaction.
Example 4. Same facts as Example 2, except that Corporation A enters into a contractual arrangement to acquire the entire armored personnel carrier business operations of Corporation X, including production facilities, customer lists, technology, and staff. This transaction is a covered transaction.
Example 5. Same facts as Example 2, except that Corporation X suspended all activities of its armored personnel carrier business a year ago and currently is in bankruptcy proceedings. Existing equipment provided by Corporation X is being serviced by another company, which purchased the service contracts from Corporation X. The business's production facilities are idle but still in working condition, some of its key former employees have agreed to return if the business is resuscitated, and its technology and customer and vendor lists are still current. Corporation X's personnel carrier business constitutes a U.S. business, and its purchase by Corporation A is a covered transaction.
(d) An acquisition of securities by a person acting as a securities underwriter, in the ordinary course of business and in the process of underwriting.
Example. Corporation A, a foreign person, holds a 10 percent ownership interest in Corporation X, a U.S. business. Corporation A and Corporation X enter into a contractual arrangement pursuant to which Corporation A gains the right to purchase an additional interest in Corporation X to prevent the dilution of Corporation A's pro rata interest in Corporation X in the event that Corporation X issues additional instruments conveying interests in Corporation X. Corporation A does not acquire any additional rights or ownership interest in Corporation X pursuant to the contractual arrangement. Assuming no other relevant facts, the transaction is not a covered transaction.
(a) The extension of a loan or a similar financing arrangement by a foreign person to a U.S. business, regardless of whether accompanied by the creation in the foreign person of a secured interest in securities or other assets of the U.S. business, shall not, by itself, constitute a covered transaction.
(1) The Committee will accept notices concerning a loan or a similar financing arrangement that does not, by itself, constitute a covered transaction only at the time that, because of imminent or actual default or other condition, there is a significant possibility that the foreign person may obtain control of a U.S. business as a result of the default or other condition.
(2) Where the Committee accepts a notice concerning a loan or a similar financing arrangement pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and a party to the transaction is a foreign person that makes loans in the ordinary course of business, the Committee will take into account whether the foreign person has made any arrangements to transfer management decisions and day-to-day control over the U.S. business to U.S. nationals for purposes of determining whether such loan or financing arrangement constitutes a covered transaction.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, a loan or a similar financing arrangement through which a foreign person acquires an interest in profits of a U.S. business, the right to appoint members of the board of directors of the U.S. business, or other comparable financial or governance rights characteristic of an equity investment but not of a typical loan may constitute a covered transaction.
(c) An acquisition of voting interest or assets of a U.S. business by a foreign person upon default or other condition involving a loan or a similar financing arrangement does not constitute a covered transaction, provided that the loan was made by a syndicate of banks in a loan participation where the foreign lender (or lenders) in the syndicate:
(1) Needs the majority consent of the U.S. participants in the syndicate to take action, and cannot on its own initiate any action vis-à-vis the debtor; or
(2) Does not have a lead role in the syndicate, and is subject to a provision in the loan or financing documents limiting its ability to control the debtor such that control for purposes of §800.204 could not be acquired.
Example 1. Corporation A, which is a U.S. business, borrows funds from Corporation B, a bank organized under the laws of a foreign state and controlled by foreign persons. As a condition of the loan, Corporation A agrees not to sell or pledge its principal assets to any person. Assuming no other relevant facts, this lending arrangement does not alone constitute a covered transaction.
Example 2. Same facts as in Example 1, except that Corporation A defaults on its loan from Corporation B and seeks bankruptcy protection. Corporation A has no funds with which to satisfy Corporation B's claim, which is greater than the value of Corporation A's principal assets. Corporation B's secured claim constitutes the only secured claim against Corporation A's principal assets, creating a high probability that Corporation B will receive title to Corporation A's principal assets, which constitute a U.S. business. Assuming no other relevant facts, the Committee would accept a notice of the impending bankruptcy court adjudication transferring control of Corporation A's principal assets to Corporation B, which would constitute a covered transaction.
Example 3. Corporation A, a foreign bank, makes a loan to Corporation B, a U.S. business. The loan documentation extends to Corporation A rights in Corporation B that are characteristic of an equity investment but not of a typical loan, including dominant minority representation on the board of directors of Corporation B and the right to be paid dividends by Corporation B. This loan is a covered transaction.
(a) For purposes of determining whether to include the rights that a holder of convertible voting instruments will acquire upon conversion of those instruments in the Committee's assessment of whether a notified transaction is a covered transaction, the Committee will consider factors that include:
(1) The imminence of conversion;
(2) Whether conversion depends on factors within the control of the acquiring party; and
(3) Whether the amount of voting interest and the rights that would be acquired upon conversion can be reasonably determined at the time of acquisition.
(b) When the Committee, applying paragraph (a) of this section, determines that the rights that the holder will acquire upon conversion will not be included in the Committee's assessment of whether a notified transaction is a covered transaction, the Committee will disregard the convertible voting instruments for purposes of that transaction except to the extent that they convey immediate rights to the holder with respect to the governance of the entity that issued the instruments.
Example 1. Corporation A, a foreign person, notifies the Committee that it intends to buy common stock and debentures of Corporation X, a U.S. business. By their terms, the debentures are convertible into common stock only upon the occurrence of an event the timing of which is not in the control of Corporation A, and the number of common shares that would be acquired upon conversion cannot now be determined. Assuming no other relevant facts, the Committee will disregard the debentures in the course of its covered transaction analysis at the time that Corporation A acquires the debentures. In the event that it determines that the acquisition of the common stock is not a covered transaction, the Committee will so inform the parties. Once the conversion of the instruments becomes imminent, it may be appropriate for the Committee to consider the rights that would result from the conversion and whether the conversion is a covered transaction. The conversion of those debentures into common stock could be a covered transaction, depending on what percentage of Corporation X's voting securities Corporation A would receive and what powers those securities would confer on Corporation A.
Example 2. Same facts as Example 1, except that the debentures at issue are convertible at the sole discretion of Corporation A after six months, and if converted, would represent a 50 percent interest in Corporation X. The Committee may consider the rights that would result from the conversion as part of its assessment.
(a) A party or parties to a proposed or completed transaction may file a voluntary notice of the transaction with the Committee. Voluntary notice to the Committee is filed by sending one electronic copy of the notice that includes, in English, the information set out in §800.402, including the certification required under paragraph (l) of that section. See the Committee's section of the Department of the Treasury website, currently available at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/international/the-committee-on-foreign-investment-in-the-united-states-cfius, for electronic submission instructions.
(b) If the Committee determines that a transaction for which no voluntary notice has been filed under paragraph (a) of this section may be a covered transaction and may raise national security considerations, the Staff Chairperson, acting on the recommendation of the Committee, may request the parties to the transaction to provide to the Committee the information necessary to determine whether the transaction is a covered transaction, and if the Committee determines that the transaction is a covered transaction, to file a notice under paragraph (a) of such covered transaction.
(c) Any member of the Committee, or his designee at or above the Under Secretary or equivalent level, may file an agency notice to the Committee through the Staff Chairperson regarding a transaction for which no voluntary notice has been filed under paragraph (a) of this section if that member has reason to believe that the transaction is a covered transaction and may raise national security considerations. Notices filed under this paragraph are deemed accepted upon their receipt by the Staff Chairperson. No agency notice under this paragraph shall be made with respect to a transaction more than three years after the date of the completion of the transaction, unless the Chairperson of the Committee, in consultation with other members of the Committee, files such an agency notice.
(d) No communications other than those described in paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section shall constitute the filing or submitting of a notice for purposes of section 721.
(e) Upon receipt of the electronic copy of a notice filed under paragraph (a) of this section, including the certification required by §800.402(l), the Staff Chairperson shall promptly inspect such notice for completeness.
(f) Parties to a transaction are encouraged to consult with the Committee in advance of filing a notice and, in appropriate cases, to file with the Committee a draft notice or other appropriate documents to aid the Committee's understanding of the transaction and to provide an opportunity for the Committee to request additional information to be included in the notice. Any such pre-notice consultation should take place, or any draft notice should be provided, at least five business days before the filing of a voluntary notice. All information and documentary material made available to the Committee pursuant to this paragraph shall be considered to have been filed with the President or the President's designee for purposes of section 721(c) and §800.702.
(g) Information and other documentary material provided by the parties to the Committee after the filing of a voluntary notice under §800.401 shall be part of the notice, and shall be subject to the certification requirements of §800.402(l).
(a) If the parties to a transaction file a voluntary notice, they shall provide in detail the information set out in this section, which must be accurate and complete with respect to all parties and to the transaction. (See also paragraph (l) of this section and §800.701(d) regarding certification requirements.)
(b) In the case of a hostile takeover, if fewer than all the parties to a transaction file a voluntary notice, each notifying party shall provide the information set out in this section with respect to itself and, to the extent known or reasonably available to it, with respect to each non-notifying party.
(c) A voluntary notice filed pursuant to §800.401(a) shall describe or provide, as applicable:
(1) The transaction in question, including:
(i) A summary setting forth the essentials of the transaction, including a statement of the purpose of the transaction, and its scope, both within and outside of the United States;
(ii) The nature of the transaction, for example, whether the acquisition is by merger, consolidation, the purchase of voting interest, or otherwise;
(iii) The name, United States address (if any), Web site address (if any), nationality (for individuals) or place of incorporation or other legal organization (for entities), and address of the principal place of business of each foreign person that is a party to the transaction;
(iv) The name, address, website address (if any), principal place of business, and place of incorporation or other legal organization of the U.S. business that is the subject of the transaction;
(v) The name, address, and nationality (for individuals) or place of incorporation or other legal organization (for entities) of:
(A) The immediate parent, the ultimate parent, and each intermediate parent, if any, of the foreign person that is a party to the transaction;
(B) Where the ultimate parent is a private company, the ultimate owner(s) of such parent; and
(C) Where the ultimate parent is a public company, any shareholder with an interest of greater than five percent in such parent;
(vi) The name, address, website address (if any), and nationality (for individuals) or place of incorporation or other legal organization (for entities) of the person that will ultimately control the U.S. business being acquired;
(vii) The expected date for completion of the transaction, or the date it was completed;
(viii) A good faith approximation of the net value of the interest acquired in the U.S. business in U.S. dollars, as of the date of the notice;
(ix) The name of any and all financial institutions involved in the transaction, including as advisors, underwriters, or a source of financing for the transaction and;
(2) With respect to a transaction structured as an acquisition of assets of a U.S. business, a detailed description of the assets of the U.S. business being acquired, including the approximate value of those assets in U.S. dollars;
(3) With respect to the U.S. business that is the subject of the transaction and any entity of which that U.S. business is a parent (unless that entity is excluded from the scope of the transaction):
(i) Their respective business activities, as, for example, set forth in annual reports, and the product or service categories of each, including an estimate of U.S. market share for such product or service categories and the methodology used to determine market share, and a list of direct competitors for those primary product or service categories;
(ii) The street address (and mailing address, if different) within the United States and website address (if any) of each facility that is manufacturing classified or unclassified products or producing services described in paragraph (c)(3)(v) of this section, their respective Commercial and Government Entity Code (CAGE Code) assigned by the Department of Defense, their Dun and Bradstreet identification (DUNS) number, and their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code, if any;
(iii) Each contract (identified by agency and number) that is currently in effect or was in effect within the past five years with any agency of the United States Government involving any information, technology, or data that is classified under Executive Order 12958, as amended, its estimated final completion date, and the name, office, and telephone number of the contracting official;
(iv) Any other contract (identified by agency and number) that is currently in effect or was in effect within the past three years with any United States Government agency or component with national defense, homeland security, or other national security responsibilities, including law enforcement responsibility as it relates to defense, homeland security, or national security, its estimated final completion date, and the name, office, and telephone number of the contracting official;
(v) Any products or services (including research and development):
(A) That it supplies, directly or indirectly, to any agency of the United States Government, including as a prime contractor or first tier subcontractor, a supplier to any such prime contractor or subcontractor, or, if known by the parties filing the notice, a subcontractor at any tier; and
(B) If known by the parties filing the notice, for which it is a single qualified source (i.e., other acceptable suppliers are readily available to be so qualified) or a sole source (i.e., no other supplier has needed technology, equipment, and manufacturing process capabilities) for any such agencies and whether there are other suppliers in the market that are available to be so qualified;
(vi) Any products or services (including research and development) that:
(A) It supplies to third parties and it knows are rebranded by the purchaser or incorporated into the products of another entity, and the names or brands under which such rebranded products or services are sold; and
(B) In the case of services, it provides on behalf of, or under the name of, another entity, and the name of any such entities;
(vii) For the prior three years—
(A) The number of priority rated contracts or orders under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) regulations (15 CFR part 700) that the U.S. business that is the subject of the transaction has received and the level of priority of such contracts or orders (“DX” or “DO”); and
(B) The number of such priority rated contracts or orders that the U.S. business has placed with other entities and the level of priority of such contracts or orders, and the acquiring party's plan to ensure that any new entity formed at the completion of the notified transaction (or the U.S. business, if no new entity is formed) complies with the DPAS regulations; and
(viii) A description and copy of the cyber security plan, if any, that will be used to protect against cyber attacks on the operation, design, and development of the U.S. business's services, networks, systems, data storage, and facilities;
(4) Whether the U.S. business that is being acquired produces or trades in:
(i) Items that are subject to the EAR and, if so, a description (which may group similar items into general product categories) of the items and a list of the relevant commodity classifications set forth on the CCL (i.e., Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs) or EAR99 designation);
(ii) Defense articles and defense services, and related technical data covered by the USML in the ITAR, and, if so, the category of the USML; articles and services for which commodity jurisdiction requests (22 CFR 120.4) are pending; and articles and services (including those under development) that may be designated or determined in the future to be defense articles or defense services pursuant to 22 CFR 120.3;
(iii) Products and technology that are subject to export authorization administered by the Department of Energy (10 CFR part 810), or export licensing requirements administered by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (10 CFR part 110); or
(iv) Select Agents and Toxins (7 CFR part 331, 9 CFR part 121, and 42 CFR part 73);
(5) Whether the U.S. business that is the subject of the transaction:
(i) Possesses any licenses, permits, or other authorizations other than those under the regulatory authorities listed in paragraph (c)(4) of this section that have been granted by an agency of the United States Government (if applicable, identification of the relevant licenses shall be provided); or
(ii) Has technology that has military applications (if so, an identification of such technology and a description of such military applications shall be included); and
(6) With respect to the foreign person engaged in the transaction and its parents:
(i) The business or businesses of the foreign person and its ultimate parent, as such businesses are described, for example, in annual reports, and the CAGE codes, NAICS codes, and DUNS numbers, if any, for such businesses;
(ii) The plans of the foreign person for the U.S. business with respect to:
(A) Reducing, eliminating, or selling research and development facilities;
(B) Changing product quality;
(C) Shutting down or moving outside of the United States facilities that are within the United States;
(D) Consolidating or selling product lines or technology;
(E) Modifying or terminating contracts referred to in paragraphs (c)(3)(iii) and (iv) of this section; or
(F) Eliminating domestic supply by selling products solely to non-domestic markets;
(iii) Whether the foreign person is controlled by or acting on behalf of a foreign government, including as an agent or representative, or in some similar capacity, and if so, the identity of the foreign government;
(iv) Whether a foreign government or a person controlled by or acting on behalf of a foreign government:
(A) Has or controls ownership interests, including convertible voting instruments, of the acquiring foreign person or any parent of the acquiring foreign person, and if so, the nature and amount of any such instruments, and with regard to convertible voting instruments, the terms and timing of their conversion;
(B) Has the right or power to appoint any of the principal officers or the members of the board of directors of the foreign person that is a party to the transaction or any parent of that foreign person;
(C) Holds any contingent interest (for example, such as might arise from a lending transaction) in the foreign acquiring party and, if so, the rights that are covered by this contingent interest, and the manner in which they would be enforced; or
(D) Has any other affirmative or negative rights or powers that could be relevant to the Committee's determination of whether the notified transaction is a foreign government-controlled transaction, and if there are any such rights or powers, their source (for example, a “golden share,” shareholders agreement, contract, statute, or regulation) and the mechanics of their operation;
(v) Any formal or informal arrangements among foreign persons that hold an ownership interest in the foreign person that is a party to the transaction or between such foreign person and other foreign persons to act in concert on particular matters affecting the U.S. business that is the subject of the transaction, and provide a copy of any documents that establish those rights or describe those arrangements;
(vi) For each member of the board of directors or similar body (including external directors) and officers (including president, senior vice president, executive vice president, and other persons who perform duties normally associated with such titles) of the acquiring foreign person engaged in the transaction and its immediate, intermediate, and ultimate parents, and for any individual having an ownership interest of five percent or more in the acquiring foreign person engaged in the transaction and in the foreign person's ultimate parent, the following information:
(A) A curriculum vitae or similar professional synopsis, provided as part of the main notice, and
(B) The following “personal identifier information,” which, for privacy reasons, and to ensure limited distribution, shall be set forth in a separate document, not in the main notice:
(1) Full name (last, first, middle name);
(2) All other names and aliases used;
(4) Country and city of residence;
(7) U.S. Social Security number (where applicable);
(8) National identity number, including nationality, date and place of issuance, and expiration date (where applicable);
(9) U.S. or foreign passport number (if more than one, all must be fully disclosed), nationality, date and place of issuance, and expiration date and, if a U.S. visa holder, the visa type and number, date and place of issuance, and expiration date; and
(10) Dates and nature of foreign government and foreign military service (where applicable), other than military service at a rank below the top two non-commissioned ranks of the relevant foreign country; and
(vii) The following “business identifier information” for the immediate, intermediate, and ultimate parents of the foreign person engaged in the transaction, including their main offices and branches:
(A) Business name, including all names under which the business is known to be or has been doing business;
(C) Business phone number, fax number, and e-mail address; and
(D) Employer identification number or other domestic tax or corporate identification number.
(d) The voluntary notice shall list any filings with, or reports to, agencies of the United States Government that have been or will be made with respect to the transaction prior to its closing, indicating the agencies concerned, the nature of the filing or report, the date on which it was filed or the estimated date by which it will be filed, and a relevant contact point and/or telephone number within the agency, if known.
Example. Corporation A, a foreign person, intends to acquire Corporation X, which is wholly owned and controlled by a U.S. national and which has a Facility Security Clearance under the Department of Defense Industrial Security Program. See Department of Defense, “Industrial Security Regulation,” DOD 5220.22-R, and “Industrial Security Manual for Safeguarding Classified Information,” DOD 5220.22-M. Corporation X accordingly files a revised Form DD SF-328, and enters into discussions with the Defense Security Service about effectively insulating its facilities from the foreign person. Corporation X may also have made filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, or other federal departments and agencies. Paragraph (d) of this section requires that certain specific information about these filings be reported to the Committee in a voluntary notice.
(e) In the case of the establishment of a joint venture in which one or more of the parties is contributing a U.S. business, information for the voluntary notice shall be prepared on the assumption that the foreign person that is party to the joint venture has made an acquisition of the existing U.S. business that the other party to the joint venture is contributing or transferring to the joint venture. The voluntary notice shall describe the name and address of the joint venture and the entities that established, or are establishing, the joint venture.
(f) In the case of the acquisition of some but not all of the assets of an entity, §800.402(c) requires submission of the specified information only with respect to the assets of the entity that have been or are proposed to be acquired.
(g) Persons filing a voluntary notice shall, with respect to the foreign person that is a party to the transaction, its immediate parent, the U.S. business that is the subject of the transaction, and each entity of which the foreign person is a parent, append to the voluntary notice the most recent annual report of each such entity, in English. Separate reports are not required for any entity whose financial results are included within the consolidated financial results stated in the annual report of any parent of any such entity, unless the transaction involves the acquisition of a U.S. business whose parent is not being acquired, in which case the notice shall include the most recent audited financial statement of the U.S. business that is the subject of the transaction. If a U.S. business does not prepare an annual report and its financial results are not included within the consolidated financial results stated in the annual report of a parent, the filing shall include, if available, the entity's most recent audited financial statement (or, if an audited financial statement is not available, the unaudited financial statement).
(h) Persons filing a voluntary notice shall, during the time that the matter is pending before the Committee or the President, promptly advise the Staff Chairperson of any material changes in plans, facts and circumstances addressed in the notice, and information provided or required to be provided to the Committee under §800.402, and shall file amendments to the notice to reflect such material changes. Such amendments shall become part of the notice filed by such persons under §800.401, and the certification required under §800.402(l) shall apply to such amendments. (See also §800.701(d).)
(i) Persons filing a voluntary notice shall include a copy of the most recent asset or stock purchase agreement or other document establishing the agreed terms of the transaction.
(j) Persons filing a voluntary notice shall include:
(1) An organizational chart illustrating all of the entities or individuals above the foreign person that is a party to the transaction up to the person or persons having ultimate control of that person, including the percentage of shares held by each; and
(2) The opinion of the person regarding whether:
(i) It is a foreign person;
(ii) It is controlled by a foreign government; and
(iii) The transaction has resulted or could result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign person, and the reasons for its view, focusing in particular on any powers (for example, by virtue of a shareholders agreement, contract, statute, or regulation) that the foreign person will have with regard to the U.S. business, and how those powers can or will be exercised.
(k) Persons filing a voluntary notice shall include information as to whether:
(1) Any party to the transaction is, or has been, a party to a mitigation agreement entered into or condition imposed under section 721, and if so, shall specify the date and purpose of such agreement or condition and the United States Government signatories; and
(2) Any party to the transaction has been a party to a transaction previously notified to the Committee.
(l) Each party filing a voluntary notice shall provide a certification of the notice consistent with §800.202. A sample certification may be found on the Committee's section of the Department of the Treasury Web site, currently available at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/international/the-committee-on-foreign-investment-in-the-united-states-cfius.
(m) Persons filing a voluntary notice shall include with the notice a list identifying each document provided as part of the notice, including all documents provided as attachments or exhibits to the narrative response.
(1) Reject any voluntary notice that does not comply with §800.402 and so inform the parties promptly in writing;
(2) Reject any voluntary notice at any time, and so inform the parties promptly in writing, if, after the notice has been submitted and before action by the Committee or the President has been concluded:
(i) There is a material change in the transaction as to which notification has been made; or
(ii) Information comes to light that contradicts material information provided in the notice by the parties;
(3) Reject any voluntary notice at any time after the notice has been accepted, and so inform the parties promptly in writing, if the party or parties that have submitted the voluntary notice do not provide follow-up information requested by the Staff Chairperson within three business days of the request, or within a longer time frame if the parties so request in writing and the Staff Chairperson grants that request in writing; or
(4) Reject any voluntary notice before the conclusion of a review or investigation, and so inform the parties promptly in writing, if one of the parties submitting the voluntary notice has not submitted the final certification required by §800.701(d).
(b) Notwithstanding the authority of the Staff Chairperson under paragraph (a) of this section to reject an incomplete notice, the Staff Chairperson may defer acceptance of the notice, and the beginning of the review period specified by §800.502, to obtain any information required under this section that has not been submitted by the notifying party or parties or other parties to the transaction. Where necessary to obtain such information, the Staff Chairperson may inform any non-notifying party or parties that notice has been filed with respect to a proposed transaction involving the party, and request that certain information required under this section, as specified by the Staff Chairperson, be provided to the Committee within seven days after receipt of the Staff Chairperson's request.
(c) The Staff Chairperson shall notify the parties when the Committee has found that the transaction that is the subject of a voluntary notice is not a covered transaction.
Example 1. The Staff Chairperson receives a joint notice from Corporation A, a foreign person, and Corporation X, a company that is owned and controlled by U.S. nationals, with respect to Corporation A's intent to purchase all of the shares of Corporation X. The joint notice does not contain any information described under §800.402(c)(3)(iii) and (iv) concerning classified materials and products or services supplied to the U.S. military services. The Staff Chairperson may reject the notice or defer the start of the review period until the parties have supplied the omitted information.
Example 2. Same facts as in the first sentence of Example 1, except that the joint notice indicates that Corporation A does not intend to purchase Corporation X's Division Y, which is engaged in classified work for a U.S. Government agency. Corporations A and X notify the Committee on the 40th day of the 45-day notice period that Division Y will also be acquired by Corporation A. This fact constitutes a material change with respect to the transaction as originally notified, and the Staff Chairperson may reject the notice.
Example 3. The Staff Chairperson receives a joint notice by Corporation A, a foreign person, and Corporation X, a U.S. business, indicating that Corporation A intends to purchase five percent of the voting securities of Corporation X. Under the particular facts and circumstances presented, the Committee concludes that Corporation A's purchase of this interest in Corporation X could not result in foreign control of Corporation X. The Staff Chairperson shall advise the parties in writing that the transaction as presented is not subject to section 721.
Example 4. The Staff Chairperson receives a voluntary notice involving the acquisition by Company A, a foreign person, of the entire interest in Company X, a U.S. business. The notice mentions the involvement of a second foreign person in the transaction, Company B, but states that Company B is merely a passive investor in the transaction. During the course of the review, the parties provide information that clarifies that Company B has the right to appoint two members of Company X's board of directors. This information contradicts the material assertion in the notice that Company B is a passive investor. The Committee may reject this notice without concluding review under section 721.
[73 FR 70716, Nov. 21, 2008, as amended at 83 FR 51321, Oct. 11, 2018]
(a) In any review or investigation of a covered transaction, the Committee should consider the factors specified in section 721(f) and, as appropriate, require parties to provide to the Committee the information necessary to consider such factors. The Committee's review or investigation (if necessary) shall examine, as appropriate, whether:
(1) The transaction is by or with any foreign person and could result in foreign control of a U.S. business;
(2) There is credible evidence to support a belief that any foreign person exercising control of that U.S. business might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States; and
(3) Provisions of law, other than section 721 and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, provide adequate and appropriate authority to protect the national security of the United States.
(b) During the review period or during an investigation, the Staff Chairperson may invite the parties to a notified transaction to attend a meeting with the Committee staff to discuss and clarify issues pertaining to the transaction. During an investigation, a party to the transaction under investigation may request a meeting with the Committee staff; such a request ordinarily will be granted.
(c) The Staff Chairperson shall be the point of contact for receiving material filed with the Committee, including notices.
(d) Where more than one lead agency is designated, communications on material matters between a party to the transaction and a lead agency shall include all lead agencies designated with regard to those matters.
(a) The Staff Chairperson of the Committee shall accept a voluntary notice the next business day after the Staff Chairperson has:
(1) Determined that the notice complies with §800.402; and
(2) Disseminated the notice to all members of the Committee.
(b) A 45-day period for review of a transaction shall commence on the date on which the voluntary notice has been accepted, agency notice has been received by the Staff Chairperson of the Committee, or the Chairperson of the Committee has requested a review pursuant to §800.401(b). Such review shall end no later than the forty-fifth day after it has commenced, or if the forty-fifth day is not a business day, no later than the next business day after the forty-fifth day.
(c) The Staff Chairperson shall promptly and in writing advise all parties to a transaction that have filed a voluntary notice of:
(1) The acceptance of the notice;
(2) The date on which the review begins; and
(3) The designation of any lead agency or agencies.
(d) Within two business days after receipt of an agency notice by the Staff Chairperson, the Staff Chairperson shall send written advice of such notice to the parties to a covered transaction. Such written advice shall identify the date on which the review began.
(e) The Staff Chairperson shall promptly circulate to all Committee members any draft pre-filing notice, any agency notice, any complete notice, and any subsequent information filed by the parties.
(a) After a review of a notified transaction under §800.502, the Committee shall undertake an investigation of any transaction that it has determined to be a covered transaction if:
(1) A member of the Committee (other than a member designated as ex officio under section 721(k)) advises the Staff Chairperson that the member believes that the transaction threatens to impair the national security of the United States and that the threat has not been mitigated; or
(2) The lead agency recommends, and the Committee concurs, that an investigation be undertaken.
(b) The Committee shall also undertake, after a review of a covered transaction under §800.502, an investigation to determine the effects on national security of any covered transaction that:
(1) Is a foreign government-controlled transaction; or
(2) Would result in control by a foreign person of critical infrastructure of or within the United States, if the Committee determines that the transaction could impair the national security and such impairment has not been mitigated.
(c) The Committee shall undertake an investigation as described in paragraph (b) of this section unless the Chairperson of the Committee (or the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury) and the head of any lead agency (or his or her delegee at the deputy level or equivalent) designated by the Chairperson determine on the basis of the review that the covered transaction will not impair the national security of the United States.
If the Committee determines, during the review period described in §800.502, not to undertake an investigation of a notified covered transaction, action under section 721 shall be concluded. An official at the Department of the Treasury shall promptly send written advice to the parties to a covered transaction of a determination of the Committee not to undertake an investigation and to conclude action under section 721.
(a) If it is determined that an investigation should be undertaken, such investigation shall commence no later than the end of the review period described in §800.502.
(b) An official of the Department of the Treasury shall promptly send written advice to the parties to a covered transaction of the commencement of an investigation.
(a) Subject to paragraph (e) of this section, the Committee shall complete an investigation no later than the 45th day after the date the investigation commences, or, if the 45th day is not a business day, no later than the next business day after the 45th day.
(b) Upon completion or termination of any investigation, the Committee shall send a report to the President requesting the President's decision if:
(1) The Committee recommends that the President suspend or prohibit the transaction;
(2) The members of the Committee (other than a member designated as ex officio under section 721(k)) are unable to reach a decision on whether to recommend that the President suspend or prohibit the transaction; or
(3) The Committee requests that the President make a determination with regard to the transaction.
(c) In circumstances when the Committee sends a report to the President requesting the President's decision with respect to a covered transaction, such report shall include information relevant to sections 721(d)(4)(A) and (B), and shall present the Committee's recommendation. If the Committee is unable to reach a decision to present a single recommendation to the President, the Chairperson of the Committee shall submit a report of the Committee to the President setting forth the differing views and presenting the issues for decision.
(d) Upon completion or termination of an investigation, if the Committee determines to conclude all deliberative action under section 721 with regard to a notified covered transaction without sending a report to the President, action under section 721 shall be concluded. An official at the Department of the Treasury shall promptly advise the parties to such a transaction in writing of a determination to conclude action.
(a) A party (or parties) to a transaction that has filed notice under §800.401(a) may request in writing, at any time prior to conclusion of all action under section 721, that such notice be withdrawn. Such request shall be directed to the Staff Chairperson and shall state the reasons why the request is being made. Such requests will ordinarily be granted, unless otherwise determined by the Committee. An official of the Department of the Treasury will promptly advise the parties to the transaction in writing of the Committee's decision.
(b) Any request to withdraw an agency notice by the agency that filed it shall be in writing and shall be effective only upon approval by the Committee. An official of the Department of the Treasury shall advise the parties to the transaction in writing of the Committee's decision to approve the withdrawal request within two business days of the Committee's decision.
(c) In any case where a request to withdraw a notice is granted under paragraph (a) of this section:
(1) The Staff Chairperson, in consultation with the Committee, shall establish, as appropriate:
(i) A process for tracking actions that may be taken by any party to the covered transaction before notice is refiled under §800.401; and
(ii) Interim protections to address specific national security concerns with the transaction identified during the review or investigation of the transaction.
(2) The Staff Chairperson shall specify a time frame, as appropriate, for the parties to resubmit a notice and shall advise the parties of that time frame in writing.
(d) A notice of a transaction that is submitted pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of this section shall be deemed a new notice for purposes of the regulations in this part, including §800.601.
In response to a request from the Chairperson of the Committee, the Secretary of Labor shall identify for the Committee any risk mitigation provisions proposed to or by the Committee that would violate U.S. employment laws or require a party to violate U.S. employment laws. The Secretary of Labor shall serve no policy role on the Committee.
The Committee generally will not consider as material minor inaccuracies, omissions, or changes relating to financial or commercial factors not having a bearing on national security.
[83 FR 51321, Oct. 11, 2018]
(a) All authority available to the President or the Committee under section 721(d), including divestment authority, shall remain available at the discretion of the President with respect to covered transactions proposed or pending on or after August 23, 1988. Such authority shall not be exercised if:
(1) The Committee, through its Staff Chairperson, has advised a party (or the parties) in writing that a particular transaction with respect to which voluntary notice has been filed is not a covered transaction;
(2) The parties to the transaction have been advised in writing pursuant to §800.504 or §800.506(d) that the Committee has concluded all action under section 721 with respect to the covered transaction; or
(3) The President has previously announced, pursuant to section 721(d), his decision not to exercise his authority under section 721 with respect to the covered transaction.
(b) Divestment or other relief under section 721 shall not be available with respect to transactions that were completed prior to August 23, 1988.
(a) Parties to a transaction that is notified under subpart D shall provide information to the Staff Chairperson that will enable the Committee to conduct a full review and/or investigation of the proposed transaction, and shall promptly advise the Staff Chairperson of any material changes in plans or information pursuant to §800.402(h). If deemed necessary by the Committee, information may be obtained from parties to a transaction or other persons through subpoena or otherwise, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 4555(a).
(b) Documentary materials or information required or requested to be filed with the Committee under this part shall be submitted in English. Supplementary materials, such as annual reports, written in a foreign language, shall be submitted in certified English translation.
(c) Any information filed with the Committee by a party to a covered transaction in connection with any action for which a report is required pursuant to section 721(l)(3)(B) with respect to the implementation of a mitigation agreement or condition described in section 721(l)(1)(A) shall be accompanied by a certification that complies with the requirements of section 721(n) and §800.202. A sample certification may be found at the Committee's section of the Department of the Treasury Web site, currently available at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/international/the-committee-on-foreign-investment-in-the-united-states-cfius.
(d) At the conclusion of a review or investigation, each party that has filed additional information subsequent to the original notice shall file a final certification. (See §800.202.) A sample certification may be found at the Committee's section of the Department of the Treasury Web site, currently available at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/international/the-committee-on-foreign-investment-in-the-united-states-cfius.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, any information or documentary material filed with the Committee pursuant to this part, including information or documentary material filed pursuant to §800.401(f), shall be exempt from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552, and no such information or documentary material may be made public.
(4) Information that the parties have consented to be disclosed to third parties; and
(c) This section shall continue to apply with respect to information and documentary material filed with the Committee in any case where:
(1) Action has concluded under section 721 concerning a notified transaction;
(2) A request to withdraw notice is granted under §800.507, or where notice has been rejected under §800.403;
(3) The Committee determines that a notified transaction is not a covered transaction; or
(4) Such information or documentary material was filed pursuant to §800.401(f) and the parties do not subsequently file a notice pursuant to §800.401(a).
(d) Nothing in paragraph (a) of this section shall be interpreted to prohibit the public disclosure by a party of documentary material or information that it has filed with the Committee. Any such documentary material or information so disclosed may subsequently be reflected in the public statements of the Chairperson, who is authorized to communicate with the public and the Congress on behalf of the Committee, or of the Chairperson's designee.
(e) The provisions of 50 U.S.C. 4555(d) relating to fines and imprisonment shall apply with respect to the disclosure of information or documentary material filed with the Committee under these regulations.
(a) Any person who submits a material misstatement or omission in a notice or makes a false certification under §§800.402(l) or 800.701(c) may be liable to the United States for a civil penalty not to exceed $250,000 per violation. The amount of the penalty assessed for a violation shall be based on the nature of the violation.
(b) Any person who, after the effective date, violates, intentionally or through gross negligence, a material provision of a mitigation agreement entered into before October 11, 2018, with, a material condition imposed before October 11, 2018 by, or an order issued before October 11, 2018 by, the United States under section 721(l) may be liable to the United States for a civil penalty not to exceed $250,000 per violation or the value of the transaction, whichever is greater. Any person who violates a material provision of a mitigation agreement entered into on or after October 11, 2018, with, a material condition imposed on or after October 11, 2018, by, or an order issued on or after October 11, 2018, by, the United States under section 721(l) may be liable to the United States for a civil penalty not to exceed $250,000 per violation or the value of the transaction, whichever is greater.
(c) A mitigation agreement entered into or amended under section 721(l) after the effective date may include a provision providing for liquidated or actual damages for breaches of the agreement by parties to the transaction. The Committee shall set the amount of any liquidated damages as a reasonable assessment of the harm to the national security that could result from a breach of the agreement. Any mitigation agreement containing a liquidated damages provision shall include a provision specifying that the Committee will consider the severity of the breach in deciding whether to seek a lesser amount than that stipulated in the contract.
(d) A determination to impose penalties under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section must be made by the named members of the Committee, except to the extent delegated by such official. Notice of the penalty, including a written explanation of the penalized conduct and the amount of the penalty, shall be sent to the penalized party by U.S. mail.
(e) Upon receiving notice of the imposition of a penalty under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section, the penalized party may, within 15 days of receipt of the notice of the penalty, submit a petition for reconsideration to the Staff Chairperson, including a defense, justification, or explanation for the penalized conduct. The Committee will review the petition and issue a final decision within 15 days of receipt of the petition.
(f) The penalties authorized in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section may be recovered in a civil action brought by the United States in federal district court.
(h) The penalties available under this section are without prejudice to other penalties, civil or criminal, available under law.
[83 FR 51322, Oct. 11, 2018]