President Donald Trump says the United States will temporarily allow a significant increase in beef imports in an effort to bring down high ground beef prices for American consumers.
QUICK READ:
- More beef imports: Trump says the U.S. will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of beef in tariff-free over the next 90 days.
- Lower prices promised: Importers have committed to selling the beef at 25% below current market prices, Trump says.
- Herd rebuilding: Trump says the plan is meant to lower grocery prices while giving the U.S. cattle herd time to recover.
Trump announced Friday on Truth Social that the U.S. will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product to enter the country over the next 90 days without an out-of-quota tariff.
Trump said the beef importers have committed to selling the product at 25% below current market prices.
He says the move will lower prices for working families while giving the domestic cattle herd time to rebuild.
The announcement comes as U.S. beef prices remain elevated and the nation’s cattle herd is near historic lows. The latest Consumer Price Index shows grocery-store beef was up nearly 10% in July from a year ago. Trump blamed the Biden administration for allowing beef prices to rise and the cattle herd to fall to its smallest size in modern history.
The president said the temporary imports are intended to provide consumers with more affordable beef while U.S. ranchers work to rebuild the nation’s herd.
The announcement comes just days after nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef imported from Argentina was recalled because it entered the United States without required federal import reinspection.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says Corte Argentino USA LLC of Aventura, Florida, recalled about 29,628 pounds of beef produced in Argentina between May 15 and May 20.
The move is likely to draw renewed scrutiny from U.S. cattle producers, who have argued that increasing imports will not address the underlying supply shortage that has pushed beef prices higher.
Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue previously criticized the administration’s push to increase beef imports, saying U.S. cattle producers are finally seeing improved returns after years of tight margins.
“Beef producers found that very offensive,” McHargue said of calls to lower beef prices while producers were beginning to make money.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has also historically opposed expanding Argentina’s access to the U.S. market, arguing imports will not solve the nation’s cattle supply shortage.
Trump says the 90-day import policy will provide relief for consumers while allowing the domestic herd to grow.
The administration has not yet provided additional details about which countries will supply the 300,000 metric tons of beef, when the imports will begin or how the promised 25% discount will be implemented at the retail level.
