The Trump administration has announced a 90-day tariff-free ground beef imports to cut prices. The deal allows up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to enter the U.S. tariff-free for 90 days, with a commitment to sell at 25 percent below current market prices.
In a post on X, President Trump said, “Today, I concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working 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. 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 beefer to grow again.”
Several agricultural organizations have made comments after this post. One is the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s post, “NCBA is disappointed by the President’s statement. While America’s cattle producers share the goal of keeping groceries affordable for consumers, flooding the market with government subsidized below-market beef is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd. Cattle markets have already turned sharply lower this morning, to the detriment of farmers and ranchers. This is a critical time of year for cattle producers as we approach the season where they are making decisions regarding their herds. Cattle farmers and ranchers are responding to strong market signals and historically high demand. And we’re already working to rebuild after years of ongoing drought, high input costs, and other challenges that have reduced U.S. cattle numbers. Today’s announcement and other market interventions throw cold water on the prospect of herd expansion and sacrifices long-term stability for short-term messaging.”
Audio Reporting by Elizabeth Sanders for Southeast AgNet.