President Trump announced on Friday that the United States will allow “up to 300,000 metric tons” of ground beef imports with no “out of quota tariff” for the next 90 days.
“Today, I concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families. As everyone knows, under President Biden, beef prices soared at their fastest rate and the American beef herd fell to its smallest size in modern history,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“As we work to rebuild this herd and help our ranchers, for the next 90 days, the United States will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out of quota tariff. We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices. This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again,” he continued.
More from the Associated Press:
The White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a plan that has yet to be finalized, said the beef in question is lean beef trimmings that are used for ground beef production. Trump plans to sign an executive order formalizing the directive within two weeks, the official said.
The announced plan is likely to also spur opposition from American ranchers and farm groups, which have been some of the president’s most reliable political supporters but have balked at Trump’s past efforts to import more foreign beef.
When the administration made a push last year to buy more beef from Argentina, key ranching and farming groups such as The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association raised concerns about the impact on American ranchers and feedlot operators.
The Trump administration has struggled to combat the cost of beef, which has remained high due to several factors including drought, tight cattle supply and Americans’ consistent demand for the product. The U.S. president has also imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil, a major beef exporter.
Last year, Trump asked his Justice Department to launch an investigation into foreign-owned meat packers, accusing those companies of ramping up beef prices in the U.S. He offered no evidence for his claims at the time, and a trade group representing meat packers said they weren’t to blame for high prices.
The president also said Friday that his plan would help grow the U.S. cattle supply, which is the smallest in decades. But the idea of increased beef imports from abroad can create uncertainty for ranchers, which in turn could make them less likely to make investments to grow the herd.
“I’ve advised President Trump against this course of action for a year because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades, and this will further harm them – most of whom are MAGA Republicans. The President’s heart is in the right place on wanting lower prices for the American people, and beef prices have been impacted by the Mexican screwworm,” Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) said.
“But the reality is this action will make it more difficult for American ranchers to rebuild our herd and bring prices down for the American people. And most importantly, this will harm our ranching families who feed the nation,” he continued.
I’ve advised President Trump against this course of action for a year because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades, and this will further harm them – most of whom are MAGA Republicans.
The President’s heart is in the right place on… https://t.co/CitifFJr8R
— Tim Sheehy (@TimSheehyMT) August 21, 2026
“What a slap in the face to American cattlemen & consumers. Worse than socialism! Dumping foreign beef in U.S. markets can temporarily lower prices but it won’t incentivize American farmers to raise more beef. Bring back Country Of Origin Labels & pass my PRIME Act,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said.
What a slap in the face to American cattlemen & consumers. Worse than socialism! Dumping foreign beef in U.S. markets can temporarily lower prices but it won’t incentivize American farmers to raise more beef. Bring back Country Of Origin Labels & pass my PRIME Act. pic.twitter.com/18Ml6NlRxB
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) August 21, 2026
The Hill shared further:
The PRIME Act would permit states to allow farmers and ranchers to slaughter their livestock at local slaughterhouses and reduce reliance on the select meat processing centers approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) also joined in on criticizing the move, accusing the Trump administration of “making it even harder for American beef ranchers and producers.”
“Now they will be undercut by foreign imported beef, as they have been hit financially with high cost of fertilizer and diesel from Trump’s war with Iran,” Greene wrote in a Friday social media post. “The Trump admins attempt to lower the cost of beef is American beef LAST and foreign beef FIRST.”
A historically small U.S. cattle herd and high consumer demand has driven up the domestic cost of ground beef.
The average price of 100 percent ground beef per pound was around $6.89 in July — a more than 10 percent increase from a year ago, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data shared by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
What are your thoughts?
