Trump announces 90-day tariff waiver on ground beef imports

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported over the next 90 days without triggering the higher tariffs normally charged once a country's import quota is exceeded. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had "concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families" and that exporters had committed to selling the beef at 25% below current market prices.

"This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again," Trump wrote. He framed the move as a way to lower consumer prices while giving U.S. ranchers time to rebuild the national herd, which sits at its smallest size since the 1950s.

Trump did not name the countries or companies involved in the arrangement, saying only that "there are a few" and that they would send the "highest quality beef." A White House official said Trump plans to sign an executive order formalizing the directive within two weeks and described the deal as being with "foreign beef exporters" who agreed to the discount. The official said the beef in question is lean beef trimmings used for ground beef production.

Beef prices and the shrinking U.S. herd

The announcement comes as beef prices remain near record highs. The average price of a pound of ground beef was $6.89 in July 2026, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Ground beef averaged $6.885 per pound in July 2026, up from $6.254 a year earlier and $4.388 in July 2021, according to Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis data. Trump blamed his predecessor Joe Biden for the price increase, claiming beef prices "soared at their fastest rate" under Biden and that the herd fell to its smallest size in modern history.

The U.S. cattle herd stood at 86.2 million head in January 2026, its smallest size since the 1950s, according to data cited by the White House. A separate USDA cattle report put the cattle and calves inventory at 94.2 million head, at about the same level as in the 1950s. Analysts attribute the shortage to years of drought, high feed costs, and a suspension of cattle imports from Mexico due to screwworm disease.

Cattle producers and Republicans push back

The plan has drawn unusually sharp opposition from cattle producers and Republican lawmakers representing ranching states.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall said flooding the market with "government-subsidized, below-market beef" is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd. "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," Woodall said in a statement.

U.S. Cattlemen's Association President Justin Tupper said: "You don't put America first by putting U.S. cattle producers last. This move will weaken our markets and gamble with food safety in the process."

Several Republican senators from cattle states broke with the president. Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska said "flooding the market with foreign beef hurts our livestock industry," adding that lowering grocery prices cannot come "at the expense of American producers." Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana said in a social media post that importing beef will "harm our ranching families who feed the nation" and that he had advised Trump against the plan for a year. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota wrote on X that American cattle producers have been disadvantaged and that the market needs a stable, America-First national policy.

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, a Republican who has generally supported the administration, told AL.com she "appreciate[s] the administration's efforts" but urged Trump to reconsider. "Importing more foreign beef comes at the expense of our cattlemen, who are critical to both affordable and sustainable food supplies," Britt said.

Iowa Cattlemen's Association President Craig Moss said the association was "extremely disappointed" and that the announcement had created "unnecessary market volatility," with cattle market reports showing "crashing futures." The American Farm Bureau Federation warned the proposal could cause "long-term damage" to cattle producers.

Questions over transparency and market impact

The lack of specifics about the supplying countries has drawn criticism. Trump did not name a single supplying country, exporter, or company behind the arrangement. A White House official told Roll Call that high beef prices stemmed from supply shortages that began under the Biden administration, but the White House did not respond to Reuters questions about which countries would supply the beef.

Economists questioned whether the plan would noticeably bring down beef prices. Glynn Tonsor, a professor at Kansas State University, said 300,000 metric tons amounts to roughly 3% of what Americans eat yearly. Independent trader Dan Norcini called the volume "just a drop in the bucket." Cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange tumbled to eight-month lows on Friday.

Some lawmakers raised food safety and labeling concerns. Rep. Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota warned that lower grocery prices should not come "on the backs of North Dakota ranchers and producers," and called for imported beef to meet the same inspection and safety standards as American-raised meat. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky called the plan "a slap in the face to American cattlemen & consumers. Worse than socialism!" and renewed his push for the PRIME Act, which would loosen restrictions on smaller slaughterhouses. Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene endorsed Massie's approach and called for country-of-origin labeling.

Trump defended the plan in personal terms. "The ranchers are great. They are my people," he said. "I love the ranchers; they've done a fantastic job. But they admit that we need a little help."

The move is the latest in a series of steps to boost beef imports. In February, Trump signed an executive order titled "Ensuring Affordable Beef for the American Consumer," quadrupling Argentina's tariff quota by an extra 80,000 metric tons. The August allowance is nearly four times the size of the Argentina quota and would account for close to 15% of all U.S. beef imports, based on 2025 volumes. The White House pushed last October to buy more beef from Argentina, prompting backlash.

The announcement lands 74 days before the November midterm elections, with persistently high food prices a central issue for voters. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this month showed Democrats holding an eight-point lead over Republicans as the more trusted party to handle the cost of living.

Perspectives

Trump administration: The plan is a temporary measure to lower consumer prices while giving U.S. ranchers time to rebuild the herd. Trump has said exporters committed to selling at 25% below market prices.

Cattle producers and ranchers: Groups like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the U.S. Cattlemen's Association argue that flooding the market with discounted foreign beef will undercut American producers, discourage herd rebuilding, and create market volatility.

Republican lawmakers from ranching states: Senators and representatives from cattle states, including Katie Britt, Deb Fischer, Tim Sheehy, and Mike Rounds, generally support the goal of lower prices but warn that imports come at the expense of domestic producers and domestic food security.

Economists and market analysts: Some question whether the volume will meaningfully affect consumer prices, noting the relatively small share of U.S. consumption and the potential for market disruption.