Trump moves to allow more beef to be imported to lower prices

President Donald Trump announced Friday that his administration will temporarily allow more beef to be imported into the United States without triggering higher tariffs, a move that quickly drew criticism from cattle producers and conservative Republicans in rural states.

Beef prices have reached record highs as the U.S. cattle herd has shrunk, consumer demand remains strong, and imports from Mexico have been limited by an outbreak of a flesh-eating pest affecting cattle. The administration has also imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil, one of the world’s largest beef exporters.

Trump is under growing pressure to lower costs and address affordability ahead of November’s midterm elections but the policy puts him at odds with ranchers, who are typically among his strongest supporters. 

After several unusually profitable years, cattle producers fear that an influx of cheaper imported beef could drive down cattle prices and weaken the incentive to rebuild the nation’s herd.