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GRAND FORKS — Though the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States was expected Monday to release preliminary findings regarding a corn mill plant proposed by Fufeng USA, the city has not heard anything yet as of Monday evening.
The committee — commonly known as CFIUS — has been reviewing the company, which has ties to China, since October for any potential risks to national security. While the initial review period is expected to last approximately 45 days, City Administrator Todd Feland previously told the Herald that CFIUS can request an additional 45 days for further review.
In September, the city paused all Fufeng-related construction after CFIUS said more information is needed before it can determine whether the agribusiness poses a risk to national security, especially considering its proximity to Grand Forks Air Force Base. Security has been a chief concern for many opponents, including U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who spoke about national security implications in a broadcast interview in October.
“Both Senator (John) Hoeven, my North Dakota colleague who’s importantly a defense appropriator, and myself — on the Senate Armed Services Committee — we both believe strongly that Grand Forks should reject this opportunity and look somewhere else,” Cramer said during the interview with Newsmax. “We’re more than happy to help them find a better tenant for that land than Fufeng and the [Chinese Communist Party].”
Feland indicated Monday night that the city is anticipating receiving those findings Tuesday, Dec. 13.
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