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The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCA)

NASDAQ Proposes To Modify Listing Standards For China Based Companies

On September 3, 2025, Nasdaq proposed to adopt additional listing criteria for companies primarily operating in China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

Background

Over the years U.S. capital markets regulators, including the SEC and Nasdaq, have been vocal about the risks in investing in China based companies due to poor disclosures and disclosure controls.  In December 2020 the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“HFCA”) was adopted requiring foreign-owned issuers to certify that the PCAOB has been able to audit specified reports and inspect their audit firm within the last three years.  If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company’s public accounting firm for three consecutive years, the company’s securities are banned from trading on a national exchange.  For my three part blog on the HFCA see HERE; HERE and HERE.

Despite the HFCA, the SEC has remained concerned about the quality of disclosures, including specific risks, involved with China based companies.  Back in July 2023, the

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October 21, 2025

SEC Affirms PCAOB Rules Implementing The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act

On November 5, 2021, as part of the implementation of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“HFCA”), the SEC approved PCAOB Rule 6100.  Rule 6100 establishes a framework for the PCAOB’s determination that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in foreign jurisdictions because of a position taken by an authority in that jurisdiction.   The HFCA was adopted on December 18, 2020 and requires foreign-owned issuers to certify that the PCAOB has been able to audit specified reports and inspect their audit firm within the last three years.  If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company’s public accounting firm for three consecutive years, the company’s securities are banned from trading on a national exchange.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX”) mandates that the PCAOB inspect registered public accounting firms in both the United States and in foreign jurisdictions and investigate potential statutory, rule, and professional standards violations committed by such firms and

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November 30, 2021

China Based Companies Continue To Face US Capital Market Scrutiny

On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final amendments to implement the congressionally mandated submission and disclosure requirements of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCA Act).  Following adoption of the HFCA, on July 30, 2021, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler issued a statement warning of risks associated with investing in companies based in China.  Although the statement has a different angle, it joins the core continued concerns of the SEC top brass and Nasdaq expressed over the years.

In June 2020 Nasdaq published proposed rules which would make it more difficult for a company to list or continue to list based on the quality of its audit, which could have a direct effect on companies based in China (see HERE).  In September 2020, the SEC instituted proceedings as to whether to approve or deny the proposed rule change.  As of the date of this blog, the proposal has not been ruled upon by the SEC.

However, the

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August 31, 2021

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