The National Pork Producers Council along with 17 other agriculture groups are asking the Trump administration to avoid putting restrictions on steel and aluminum imports. NPPC’s Vice President and Counsel for Global Government Affairs Nick Giordano says the major worry is that if the administration restricts trade because of national security it may spur retaliatory measures from our trading partners.

He says it’s not wrong for the administration to try and address steel and aluminum import problems but using the GATT provision just makes any opportunity for trade worse.

Giordano is hoping the President will listen to his advisors and also heed the ag group’s concerns over this issue.

Giordano says the groups noted in their letter that many of the countries exporting steel and aluminum are also the same countries that import a large amount of agricultural goods.