In 2020, Japan tightened foreign investment rules with the amendments to the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (FEFTA). When the amendment entered into force on 7th June 2020, it expanded the scope of foreign investment reviews, lowered the threshold for screening the purchase of listed companies’ shares to acquisitions at 1 percent or more, and introduced a new prior notification exemption scheme for share acquisitions.
As we move closer and closer to a no-deal Brexit, the likelihood is, that come the end of the UK’s transition period for leaving the EU (1st January 2021), major shareholders will need to consider a number of new factors to ensure they are making the correct disclosure to the correct competent authority of the issuer.
The new Japan foreign investment rules were fully implemented on 7th June after a 30-day transition period. The amendments to the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (FEFTA) require some overseas investors to submit a prior notification of stock purchases to the government via the Bank of Japan (BoJ).
Liquidity risk was amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic with regulators introducing a number of initiatives to mitigate the corresponding risk. However, it’s not the only area which has seen increased attention as a result of COVID-19. As summarised below, despite the G20 commitment to “support global trade and investment” during the pandemic, foreign investment restrictions have been on the rise.
This month’s regulatory round-up, pulls together some of the interesting regulatory developments we have tracked throughout May. It’s no surprise that liquidity continues to dominate the headlines with the CSSF launching the IFM notifications on fund issues and large redemptions, EU Member States publishing their intentions regarding the Money Market Fund Stress Tests, and the ESRB making recommendations regarding liquidity risk in investment funds.
