Trump to temporarily lower beef tariffs, angering U.S. cattle producers
Trump said he had 'a commitment' that the imported meat would be sold at 25% below current market prices under the plan, which he claimed will help reduce consumer costs.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will temporarily ease beef tariffs, a move expected to anger U.S. cattle producers. The new policy aims to lower the price of imported beef by allowing more to enter the country at reduced tariffs, set to take effect for 90 days. The increase in imported ground beef will be 300,000 metric tons, according to the White House.
The president claimed that the imported meat would be sold at 25% below current market prices. However, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a major lobbying group for U.S. ranchers and cattle feeders, criticized Trump’s plan, stating that it would harm farmers and ranchers and discourage the growth of the U.S. beef herd. The association’s CEO, Colin Woodall, emphasized that flooding the market with government-subsidized, below-market beef is not an effective way to rebuild the American cattle herd.
Similarly, Justin Tupper, president of the United States Cattlemen’s Association, argued that the move would weaken markets and jeopardize food safety. The announcement comes as persistently high beef prices and low cattle inventories have become a significant concern for voters ahead of the November midterm elections. Cattle inventories are at their lowest in 75 years, following years of drought and rising feed costs.
U.S. meatpackers have also been closing processing plants due to soaring cattle costs. Economists and traders doubted the impact of Trump’s plan on lowering beef prices, with some questioning the scale of the proposed increase.
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