U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef product to be imported into the United States for the next three months without being subject to out-of-quota tariffs. The beef will be sold at 25 percent below market prices in an attempt to bring down grocery prices for Americans, but the move has been met with ire from many.
Among those in opposition, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association believes the move will not address the stated intention of helping to increase domestic beef herds, which have suffered in the face of drought, high feed costs, and other challenges, conditions that have resulted in the smallest national beef herd since the 1950s.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall, in a statement, said his group “is disappointed by the President’s statement.”
“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. “Cattle markets have already turned sharply lower this morning, to the detriment of farmers and ranchers. Today’s announcement and other market interventions throw cold water on the prospect of herd expansion and sacrifices long-term stability for short-term messaging,” Woodall said.
Others are concerned about the quality of the beef and the fact that prices will undercut local producers. There has been no word as to which foreign exporters a deal has been reached with.
