President Donald Trump on March 14 announced that he would allow the import of up to 300,000 tons of ground beef over the next three months without facing higher tariffs, a move aimed at lowering the price of a staple item for U.S. consumers.
On Truth Social, Trump said a deal had been reached to "significantly reduce" the price of ground beef in the U.S. "We have a commitment that this beef will be sold 25% below current market prices. This agreement will lower prices for Americans while giving U.S. cattle herds room to recover," he wrote.
Typically, higher tariffs apply to beef-exporting countries after the U.S. imports a certain volume. However, Trump did not specify which country the deal was signed with, or which businesses agreed to sell below market prices.
A White House official said Trump would formally sign an executive order "within the next two weeks." "In exchange for tariff relief, the President has reached agreements with foreign beef exporters who will reduce their export prices by 25% and pass the savings on to U.S. consumers," the official added.
Trump also blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for high beef prices. "As everyone knows, under President Biden, beef prices rose the fastest and U.S. cattle herds fell to the lowest levels in modern history," he wrote.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of a pound (453.6 grams) of ground beef was $5.55 when Trump returned to the White House. By July, that price had risen to $6.89, up 24% since he took office and 10% from a year earlier.
The announcement comes ahead of the November midterm elections, where high prices are expected to be a key issue for voters. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Democrats (35%) leading Republicans (27%) on trust to handle the cost of living. Trump's approval on this issue stood at just 23%, and 22% on inflation control.
Senator Tim Sheehy, a Republican and close ally of Trump, criticized the announcement, saying it would harm cattle ranching families. "I have advised President Trump for a year that this action would further hurt American ranches, which have struggled with the monopoly of processors for decades," he wrote on X.
The Trump administration has struggled to reduce beef costs, which remain high. Cattle prices have risen due to herd numbers being at their lowest since the 1950s. Additionally, Trump's tariffs on imported beef and the closure of the U.S.-Mexico border to live cattle over screwworm concerns have tightened supply.
Last October, the White House pushed to buy more beef from Argentina, drawing backlash from U.S. rancher and farmer groups who were affected.
