Members of Congress are being urged to investigate President Donald Trump’s plan to import hundreds of thousands of metric tons of foreign beef in a bid to lower grocery store costs, amid growing frustration from farm-state lawmakers and the nation’s embattled ranchers at the proposal. Under the plan, the administration would allow up to 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings into the U.S. tariff-free from a still-unspecified source country for a 90-day period beginning September 1—which Trump said would then be sold “at 25 percent below current market prices." “Congress needs to have an emergency hearing on this,” John Boyd, founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, said in response to the proposal, which the president said would “reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again.” In an interview with Newsweek, Boyd said that the plan would imperil the nation’s ranchers—many already at risk of bankruptcy—while raising public safety concerns, without having a meaningful impact on retail prices or efforts to revive America’s dwindling cattle herd. Boyd called the plan an “in-your-face betrayal” by the president, who had largely enjoyed the support of farmers prior to and immediately after the 2024 election, but whose popularity with this group has remained shaky since returning to office.
I mean it's almost calling the American cattlemen stupid," Boyd said. When asked to respond to the negative reaction from farmers to the deal, White House Spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Newsweek that Trump "has done more for American agriculture than anyone by negotiating new trade deals, expanding foreign market access, lowering input costs, bolstering the farm safety net, doubling the death tax exemption, ending taxes on rural property loan interest, creating rural opportunity zones, and more." Newsweek has also contacted the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for further details on the plan. Boyd, a grains and cattle farmer based in Virginia, has criticized similar efforts by the administration in the past, including its attempt to trim domestic prices by importing 80,000 metric tons of beef from Argentina.
However, a proclamation issued by Trump on Wednesday said that despite this, “the supply contraction in the United States beef industry coupled with the growing demand for beef is resulting in higher beef prices that are expected to continue absent further action.” Boyd told Newsweek that his organization—which represents tens of thousands of farmers nationwide—has received no communication from the administration regarding the plan, despite the impact he says this will have on farmers in the U.S. Trump’s pledge that the 300,000 metric tons will be sold at a 25 percent discount, Boyd said, will undercut domestic ranchers who are “not in a position to take a 25 percent loss from [their] herd.” This is in addition to concerns over the beef’s origin, given lingering concerns about supplies from Argentina—considered one of the potential suppliers for the plan. This decision would be an unprecedented move and would translate to nearly an additional 60 percent increase in imports over the next 90 days.” Senator Tim Sheehy, a Republican from Montana, said he had advised Trump “against this course of action for a year” given the potential harm this would cause ranchers, “most of whom are MAGA Republicans.” “This action will make it more difficult for American ranchers to rebuild our herd and bring prices down for the American people,” he wrote on X last week.
According to Labor Department data, the price of ground beef has risen by roughly 24 percent to $6.89 per pound since President Trump returned to office. And both the USDA and the White House have acknowledged that this trend is set to continue amid growing demand in the U.S. and the U.S. cattle herd hitting a 75-year low. The White House spokeswoman told Newsweek that Trump was “delivering on his promise to consumers by reducing beef prices while allowing our domestic beef herd to grow.” “The President will continue taking actions to support our great farmers while driving economic prosperity for all Americans,” she added.
But industry experts remain skeptical that importing an additional 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings will have noticeably lower prices. Ben Spell, founder of American meat distribution firm Good Ranchers, called the proposal a “shot in the arm” and a “short-term band-aid” for consumers, but told Newsweek this would fail to remedy the underlying issues that have pushed beef prices to record highs.
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