The US waives beef tariffs for Brazil and Paraguay, but not for Argentina and Uruguay
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on August 26 temporarily waiving tariffs on imports of up to 300,000 tonnes of lean beef trimmings, a measure that excludes countries already holding their own quotas in the US market, among them Argentina and Uruguay. The main beneficiaries will be Brazil and Paraguay.
On August 26, US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation waiving tariffs on up to 300,000 tonnes of imported lean beef trimmings for 90 days, primarily benefiting Brazil and Paraguay. The measure, titled "Further Ensuring Affordable Beef for the American Consumer," is based on section 404 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, which permits a president to temporarily expand a tariff-rate quota.
The exclusion of Argentina and Uruguay stems from the statistical category of "other countries or areas" in the proclamation, which doesn't include exporters holding country-specific quotas. This means that Argentina and Uruguay won't benefit from the temporary tariff waiver. Brazil, the largest beef supplier to the US market, will enjoy the 26.4% out-of-quota duty removal for three months.
Paraguay, which has shipped under 5,000 tonnes a month, also qualifies. The White House justified the decision by citing a decline in the US cattle herd, which is at its lowest level in 75 years, and restrictions on live cattle imports from Mexico due to factors like the New World screwworm, drought, and wildfires. The Department of Agriculture projects a 4% production decline compared to 2025.
Trump has warned he could revoke the measure if the discount does not materialize, preventing a windfall for foreign producers.
Written by urgent.news from MercoPress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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