The number of international buyers investing in US land has risen

Research has shown that the amount of foreign investment in land in the US has risen by 6.7% over the last ten months of 2010 and accounts for an area the size of Indiana.

The report, which was issued by the Department of Agriculture, highlights that foreign investment in forests and farmland makes up the majority of this rise and was compiled using the most recent data available.

Investors from Canada and the Netherlands make up almost half of all the foreign investors in the country, with Canadian companies investing heavily in timber while the Dutch prefer the longer-term investments that come with agricultural connections across the US.

Speaking about the findings, Douglas Denico, Maine State Forester, said: “We don’t focus on where someone is from, in state or out of state.  We look at how they treat the forest.”  The largest private landowner in Main is a Canadian timber company, which currently owns 1.2 million acres of land in the state.

It is reported that across the nation 24.2 million acres of farm and forestland that is privately owned is in the hands of foreign investors. This represents a growth of 1.5 million acres over the last ten months of 2010.  Overall it is a 65% increase since 2004.

The US Department of Agriculture’s report lists details of any property owners who have a lease that spans more than ten years, and any companies that have at least 10% foreign investment are required by law to report their activities within 90 days of purchasing or leasing the land.