President Trump's push to lower ground beef prices through increased imports has drawn sharp criticism from domestic cattle producers, creating political blowback in agricultural states where the party needs support.
In August, Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending tariffs on up to 300,000 metric tons of imported beef, targeting lean trimmings to bring down the price of ground beef, then around $6.80 a pound. The policy required imported beef be sold at 25 percent below market prices.
The move contributed to lower U.S. cattle prices, according to Zach Raff, an incoming livestock economist at Iowa State University.
Scott Birker, a beef cattle producer near Garrison in Eastern Iowa since 2001, said the policy hit hard. Operating about 150 breeding cows and selling feeder calves, Birker serves as northeast regional vice president for the Iowa Cattlemen's Association. He described the surprise tariff suspension as striking producers "really, really fast and really, really hard" in an already volatile market with tight supply.
The U.S. beef herd sits at a 75-year low, worsened by drought in the western states that made hay more expensive. Reduced herd size, coupled with strong consumer demand, has pushed beef prices higher.
The bigger problem for producers is not current prices but future uncertainty. Raff said the import policy created questions about whether the administration will intervene again, discouraging long-term investment.
"If I'm a producer, I think, well, look what's happening—perhaps next year they're going to import even more," Raff said. That uncertainty leads producers to send breeding heifers to slaughter rather than retain them to rebuild herds, even when cattle prices are at record highs.
The administration's beef policy follows other trade moves. Last year, China cut U.S. beef purchases during a broader trade dispute. In February, Trump signed another executive order reducing tariffs on some Argentinian beef.
The cascade of administration decisions has made conditions tougher for domestic producers. Efforts to lower consumer prices have created economic and political challenges for the agricultural sector at a time when Republicans need rural support in competitive midterm races.
