by Mariah Squire/Successfull Farming
On Friday, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported over a period of 90 days, with no out-of-quota tariff.
Reuters reported the president will sign an executive order within the next two weeks to ease the beef tariffs.
“We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices,” Trump said on Truth Social, his social media outlet. The president said the move would “reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again.”
However, cattle and farm groups reacted to this news with disappointment, warning of long-term negative impacts on cattle producers and U.S. herd expansion. Here’s a closer look.
National Groups
American Farm Bureau Federation
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is the nation’s largest farmer-run organization and serves farmers in all 50 states.
“Farmers and ranchers are extremely disappointed to learn that President Trump plans to flood the American market with hundreds of millions of pounds of foreign-raised beef,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall, in a news release. “The U.S. is already importing beef at record levels. This decision would be an unprecedented move and would translate to nearly an additional 60% increase in imports over the next 90 days.
“We appreciate the president’s goal of reducing grocery costs, but short-term measures could have long-term negative effects for consumers and for ranchers who are making decisions on whether to retain or expand their herd. Growing dependence on foreign-grown food could ultimately lead to even higher grocery costs and reliance on other nations for our food security. We urge the president to strongly reconsider his plan.”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898 and is the largest association of cattle producers in the United States.
“NCBA is disappointed by the President’s statement,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall, in a press release.
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Used with permission.