US senator claims Chinese garlic poses a threat to national security

Republican Senator Rick Scott has called for a government investigation into the impact of garlic imports from China on national security. He has written to the commerce secretary, expressing concerns about the safety of Chinese garlic due to unsanitary production methods. China is the leading exporter of fresh and chilled garlic, and the US is a significant consumer. However, the trade has been a source of controversy for many years, with the US accusing China of selling garlic at below-cost prices. To protect domestic producers, heavy tariffs were imposed on Chinese imports during the Trump administration in 2019. Senator Scott refers to existing concerns and points to videos, cooking blogs, and documentaries that allegedly document unhygienic practices, including growing garlic in sewage. Urging the Department of Commerce to take action, he invokes a law that allows investigations into specific imports' impact on national security. Senator Scott emphasizes that all grades and types of garlic should be examined. However, McGill University asserts that there is no evidence of sewage being used as a fertilizer for garlic cultivation in China, adding that it is safer than expected.