LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced Friday, Dec. 22, that a Chinese company is "not in violation" of a law that bans other countries from owning agricultural land in the state.
The announcement comes a week after Wes Ward, the state's agriculture secretary, asked Griffin to look at two companies who may be in violation of Act 636. The 2023 law prohibits a foreign country from owning agricultural land in Arkansas, with officials citing national security concerns.
Griffin made the announcement on social media, simply saying that the Chinese-owner company Risever Machinery LLC was "not in violation" of the law.
Risever has operated a facility in Craighead County since Oct. 2019 and was the first U.S. location for the company. It produces steel parts for construction equipment.
The attorney general did not make an announcement on the other company, Jones Digital LLC.
Jones Digital reportedly operates on land near DeWitt and may have ownership in other crypto-mining operations across the state under different names.