U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a plan to temporarily increase beef imports in order to lower prices. He stated on social media that foreign exporters have agreed to sell beef at 25% below current market rates, which would benefit American consumers. The move has drawn criticism from conservative rural-state Republicans, including Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana, who warned it could harm American ranchers.
The plan allows up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported over the next 90 days without triggering out-of-quota tariffs. A White House official said the beef would be lean trimmings used for ground beef production. Trump intends to sign an executive order within two weeks.
Ranchers and farm groups have expressed concerns, noting that increased imports could undermine efforts to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd. Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA, said imports have contributed to the decline in cattle inventory and that more imports would exacerbate the problem.