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By SEAN OGDEN
The long-standing trend of
under-regulated foreign acquisitions of iconic American brands has
gained new significance with the recent imposition of Trump tariffs
combined with the loss of over $11 trillion in stock market value since Trump took office.
These
established symbols of American consumer culture, now in foreign hands,
will struggle under the extreme economic pressures and ultimately hurt
the people who built them.
Covert Ownership
Here
is a list of some well-known American brands controlled by foreign
investors that are now confronting the impact of US tariffs on their
non-US based businesses:
- 7-Eleven:
Sold to Japan’s Seven & I Holdings in 2005. Japan now has 21,500
stores, while the US has just 9,000. The shift is driven by global
expansion and the search for more profitable markets.
- Popeyes, Burger King, American Apparel:
All now owned by Canadian companies. The rise of private equity firms
and international mergers continues to make US brands attractive assets
for foreign investors seeking to capitalize on American consumer
culture.
- Citgo: Texas-based oil company sold to Venezuela’s state-run enterprise PDVSA.
As oil prices fluctuated and geopolitical tensions increased, foreign
governments saw opportunities to seize valuable American assets.
- Budweiser: Once the face of American beer, now owned by Belgium’s Anheuser-Busch controlled by the trans-controversy laden InBev. Global beer consolidation, where massive international players dominate the market, led to this acquisition.
- Dr Pepper, Trader Joe’s, Panera, Krispy Kreme: All controlled by German companies, two with Nazi pasts.
As European companies expand and the global market grows, US brands are
often seen as ripe for acquisition by foreign firms with more
resources.
- Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge: Now under Dutch ownership (Stellantis).
The need for global scale in the automotive industry, as well as the
financial struggles of traditional American car companies, led to
foreign buyouts. Even the Chrysler Building is somewhat Austrian-owned, reflecting a broader trend of foreign investment in US real estate.
- Ben & Jerry’s, Vaseline, Popsicle, Breyers, Good Humor, Klondike, and Hellmann’s Mayo: These Americana brands are part of the historically unscrupulous Unilever group,
a British-Dutch conglomerate. Consolidation in the consumer goods
sector has made large multinationals the primary players, absorbing
iconic American brands to increase their market reach.
- IBM, Hoover, Milwaukee Tools, GE: These iconic American companies have been sold to Chinese firms like Lenovo, Haier, and Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries (TTI), raising security concerns and contributing to the erosion of America’s industrial legacy.
- Tiffany: Acquired by questionable French
luxury group LVMH in 2021. This marked a significant shift, as the
iconic American jewelry brand became part of a global luxury group,
signaling further foreign consolidation of US heritage brands.
- Smithfield Foods: Acquired by the WH Group, a company with ties to
the Chinese state. The purchase made Smithfield the world’s largest
pork processor. This acquisition raises serious concerns about the scope
of foreign control over critical food production and the potential
risks it poses.
- Seagram: Now owned by Pernod Ricard (France) and Diageo (UK), both companies with controversial and questionable histories.
This acquisition highlights the increasing trend of foreign control
over prominent US alcohol brands, diminishing American influence within
the industry.
- Reebok: Acquired by Adidas (Germany) in 2006, a company with its own share of scandals.
This acquisition has diminished the presence of independent US
sportswear brands, further consolidating foreign influence in the
sector.
- Forbes magazine: Illustrates the volatility of the brand ownership situation. In 2014 it was acquired by the China-backed Integrated Whale Media (IWM), and in 2023, it was nearly bought by the US-based Luminar Technologies Inc. However, the deal ultimately collapsed.
Economic Sovereignty
Foreign takeovers have long been driven by excessive deregulation and market openness,
which have allowed foreign entities to gain control of key US assets
with minimal scrutiny. The erosion of regulatory safeguards has
undermined the nation’s economic sovereignty and national security.
US Impacts
The cultural and political ramifications are significant, contributing to a structural vulnerability in
the US economy. As a result, iconic American brands have become prime
targets — not only for profit driven foreign investors but also for state sponsored predation — due to the lack of effective safeguards. This undermines US workers, consumers, and sovereignty in crucial industries.
Regulatory Deficiencies
The
following protections were designed to prevent foreign takeovers of US
commercial assets but have proven ineffective, allowing non-US entities
to acquire valuable American company brands, influencing important
economic sectors and resources:
- Outbound Investment Security Program:
(Biden) The order specifically regulates US investments in critical
technologies to protect national security and prevent foreign takeovers
of strategic industries.
- Export Control Laws: (EAR and ITAR) Restrict foreign ownership/control in sensitive industries like defense and technology.
A Hidden Tariff Dilemma
President Donald Trump’s tariffs,
originally framed as a way to “level the playing field,” have now been
openly acknowledged by him as a tactic to crash the stock market and
trigger interest rate cuts.
However, this will force foreign-owned US
brands to raise domestic prices to safeguard their profits across all
holdings, burdening American consumers and further destabilizing the
nation’s economy — all while his initial claims and the economy continue
to unravel.
The Clawback: Reclaiming Strategic Assets from China
The authors write,
“The United States is on an unspoken mission to claw back strategic
assets from China. This is not a policy that began with the current US
administration, nor has it been articulated in a speech or policy
document. Instead, this is a pattern of observed behavior driven by
growing US anxiety over growing dependencies on China in critical
industries and infrastructure.”
White House Increases Scrutiny on Foreign Investors: Why FOCI Is a Concern for International Businesses
The author writes,
“On February 21, 2025, the White House issued an ‘America First
Investment Policy’ Memorandum to the heads of 16 different federal
agencies involved in law enforcement, national security, securities
regulation and economic policy. The Memorandum states that ‘economic
security is national security’ and describes the potential ramifications
of investment from ‘foreign adversaries,’ in particular the People’s
Republic of China (PRC), in sectors such as emerging technology, food
supplies, pharmaceuticals, natural resources and critical
infrastructure.”
US-China Relations for the 2030s: Toward a Realistic Scenario for Coexistence
From the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace:
“It has become difficult to imagine how Washington and Beijing might
turn their relationship, which is so crucial to the future of world
order, toward calmer waters. If there is to be any hope of doing so,
however, policy experts need some realistic vision of what those calmer
waters might look like.”
The US Trade Deficit: How Much Does It Matter?
From the Council on Foreign Relations:
“President Trump has made reducing the U.S. trade deficit a priority,
blaming trade deals like NAFTA, but economists disagree over how
policymakers should respond.”
What Happens When Foreign Investment Becomes a Security Risk?
The author writes,
“The United States and other Western countries are reevaluating their
foreign investment regulations amid an uptick in Chinese interest in
strategic sectors.”
US-China Rivalry Exacerbates US Corporate Risk
The author writes,
“Strategic competition between the United States and China is not just
geopolitical, but directly impacts US-based corporations and the global
economy. While US firms may not be interested in the strategic rivalry
between the United States and China, they are nonetheless on the
frontlines.”
US National Security in a New Era of Intense Global Competition
From the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies:
“The United States and China are in a great power competition that will
have profound impact on the national security and economic security of
both countries for decades. This competition aligns across
interdependent economic, military, and political vectors. At the core,
this is a competition of ideals and governance. But unlike the 20th
century Cold War competition with the Soviet Union, the competition with
China involves new challenges. The resulting tension between the US and
China has opened a new era requiring a new national security
framework.”
Transnational Organized Crime: A Growing Threat to National and International Security
The author writes,
“Transnational organized crime (TOC) poses a significant and growing
threat to national and international security, with dire implications
for public safety, public health, democratic institutions, and economic
stability across the globe. Not only are criminal networks expanding,
but they also are diversifying their activities, resulting in the
convergence of threats that were once distinct and today have explosive
and destabilizing effects.”
What Happens if All American Brands Are Foreign-Owned?
From RetailWire:
“Many brands started by early American pioneers now wave international
flags. This revolution is a direct result of globalization, and to
better understand what companies have been affected, here are some
notable examples of foreign-owned American brands.”
Corporate Transparency Act: Reporting Challenges for Foreign-Owned Companies
The author writes,
“On January 1, 2024, the beneficial ownership information reporting
rule (BOI Rule) issued under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) came
into effect, ushering in new reporting requirements for companies formed
in the U.S. or registered to do business in the U.S. (collectively,
reporting companies).”
Senators Baldwin, Grassley Roll Out Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Foreign Investment in Farmland, Protect Rural Communities
The author writes,
“U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
introduced the Farmland Security Act of 2025 to build on their work to
safeguard rural communities and protect American farmland from being
secretly bought up by foreign investors. The bipartisan legislation will
build on a Baldwin-Grassley law to ensure that all foreign investors,
including ‘shell companies,’ who buy American agriculture land report
their holdings, strengthen penalties for those who evade filing, and
invest in research to better understand the impact foreign ownership of
American farmland has on agricultural production capacity.”
The illustration above was created with the following images: Popeyes / Wikimedia, Burger King / Wikimedia, American Apparel / Wikimedia, Citgo / Wikimedia, Anheuser-Busch / Wikimedia, CF496233 / Wikimedia (CC BY 4.0), Trader Joe’s / Wikimedia, Panera Bread / Wikimedia, Krispy Kreme / Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), Stellantis / Wikimedia, Unilever / Wikimedia, Unilever / Wikimedia, Various / Wikimedia, Illegitimate Barrister / Wikimedia, Various / Wikimedia, Dbenbenn / Wikimedia, CIA World Factbook / Wikimedia, Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung / Wikimedia, Zscout370 / Wikimedia, Zscout370 / Wikimedia, SKopp / Wikimedia, SKopp / Wikimedia, Unilever / Wikimedia, Unilever / Wikimedia, Unilev |
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