On August 2, 2022, amendments to the National Security Review of Investments Regulations will come into force, creating a voluntary filing mechanism for investors who do not currently have a filing obligation under the Investment Canada Act (the “Act”). These amendments will also extend the initial national security review period from 45 days to five years for all investments by non-Canadians who choose not to make a filing.

The federal government first proposed these amendments in the Canada Gazette on February 12, 2022. The amendments as posted in the Canadian Gazette on June 3, 2022 are unchanged from the February proposal, aside from the coming into force date.Continue Reading Canada to Permit Voluntary Filings Under National Security Provisions of Its Investment Canada Act

On February 12, 2022, the federal government proposed, in the Canada Gazette, amendments to the National Security Review of Investments Regulations (the “Regulations”). The Regulations set out the timelines of the national security review process under the Investment Canada Act (the “Act”). If ratified, the proposed amendments would create a voluntary filing mechanism for investors that do not currently have a filing obligation under the Act, and would extend the initial national security review period from 45 days to 5 years for all investments by non-Canadians that do not make a filing. Investors who choose to submit a voluntary filing will, within 45 days from the certification date of their filing, know whether the Government of Canada intends to challenge their investment. The proposed amendments will benefit businesses contemplating an investment in Canada by creating an option to achieve regulatory certainty pre-implementation.
Continue Reading Canada Proposes to Permit Voluntary Filings under National Security Provisions of its Investment Canada Act

In an April 18, 2020 policy statement, the Government of Canada (“GOC”) announced that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, investments by non-Canadians “related to public health or involved in the supply of critical goods and services to Canadians or to the Government” would be subject to “enhanced scrutiny” under the Investment

In what appears to be a dramatic shift in Canada’s foreign investment review policy, the federal government has recently approved the acquisition of ITF Technologies Inc. (“ITF”), a Montreal-based technology firm, by O-Net Communications Holdings Limited (“O-Net”), a Chinese developer of optical networking components, which is said to be effectively controlled