Cargill warns on immigration, trade

The chief executive officer of Cargill, the largest closely held US company, has become the latest corporate leader to voice concerns about immigration and trade protectionism. In a speech and an opinion column, David MacLennan warned of the economic dangers posed by curbs to legal immigration. He also said trade protectionism risks creating food shortages and even sparking conflict.

 

“The current climate has many of our smartest people from outside the US questioning whether they want to stay here,” he wrote in the Huffington Post Friday. “We don’t want to drive away talented people and their innovative thinking. It would weaken not only our food system, but the US economy.”

 

While the substance of MacLennan’s comments aren’t totally surprising — the 152-year-old company was already a supporter of trade liberalisation and immigration reform — it’s unusual for Cargill’s leader to step into the middle of a fierce national political debate.