Arlington, VA -  Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI – The Food Industry Association, issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s announcement of proposed tariffs on imported goods.

“FMI and our member companies stand ready to work with the Trump administration to help reduce inflationary regulations and improve the buying power of American consumers. American consumers value local farmers and local food products, but also availability of products 12 months of the year, which requires imports of food products. With 1.6% retail and 7.5% food manufacturing net margins, tariffs will put incredible pressure on our members. New tariffs will also drive up the cost of doing business and food prices at a time consumers are extremely concerned about prices.”