§ 800.244 Substantial interest.

(a) The term substantial interest means, in the context of an acquisition of an interest in a U.S. business by a foreign person, a voting interest, direct or indirect, of 25 percent or more, and, in the context of a foreign person in which the national or subnational governments of a single foreign state have an interest, subject to paragraph (b) of this section, a voting interest, direct or indirect, of 49 percent or more.

(b) In the case of an entity whose activities are primarily directed, controlled, or coordinated by or on behalf of a general partner, managing member, or equivalent, the national or subnational governments of a single foreign state will be considered to have a substantial interest in such entity only if they hold 49 percent or more of the interest in the general partner, managing member, or equivalent of the entity.

(c) For purposes of determining the percentage of interest held indirectly by one entity in another entity under this section, any interest of a parent will be deemed to be a 100 percent interest in any entity of which it is a parent.

(d) Examples:

(1) Example 1. Corporation A, a foreign person, plans to acquire a 30 percent voting interest in Corporation X, an unaffiliated TID U.S. business. Corporation B holds 51 percent of the voting interest in, and is a parent of, Corporation A. A foreign government holds 75 percent of the voting interest in Corporation B, and private, non-government controlled individuals hold the remaining 25 percent. Under paragraph (c) of this section, Corporation B is deemed to have 100 percent of the voting interest in Corporation A because it is Corporation A's parent, and therefore the foreign government's indirect voting interest in Corporation A is imputed to be 75 percent. Corporation A is acquiring a substantial interest in Corporation X, and a foreign government has a substantial interest in Corporation A.

(2) Example 2. Same facts as the example in paragraph (d)(1) of this section, except that Corporation B holds only 49 percent of the voting interest in Corporation A and is not Corporation A's parent. Because Corporation B is not a parent of Corporation A, paragraph (c) of this section is not applicable. The foreign government's indirect voting interest in Corporation A for purposes of this section is only 36.75 percent. Corporation A is acquiring a substantial interest in Corporation X; however, the foreign government does not have a substantial interest in Corporation A.

[85 FR 3124, Jan. 17, 2020, as amended at 85 FR 57128, Sept. 15, 2020]