800.216—Foreign person.
The term foreign person means:
(a)
Any foreign national, foreign government, or foreign entity; or
(b)
Any entity over which control is exercised or exercisable by a foreign national, foreign government, or foreign entity.
Code of Federal Regulations
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.
Code of Federal Regulations
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.
Code of Federal Regulations
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.
Code of Federal Regulations
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.
Code of Federal Regulations
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.
Code of Federal Regulations
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.