President Trump says Argentina is ‘dying’ and ‘fighting for its life’
US President Donald Trump defended his proposed beef import deal with Argentina in a speech aboard Air Force One on Sunday (October 19), highlighting its potential impact on lowering the price of domestic beef while supporting Argentina’s struggling economy.
- President Trump plans to quadruple the amount of beef imported from Argentina to lower beef prices.
- The plan has drawn criticism from U.S. ranchers and Republican lawmakers from livestock-producing states.
- The decision follows a multibillion-dollar bailout from the United States to Argentina.
President Donald Trump plans to lower U.S. beef prices by increasing beef imports from Argentina.
According to Reuters, President Trump said in the Oval Office on October 22, “Prices in our country are way down. The only thing that’s really going up is beef.” “We’re going to do something very quickly and easily to reduce beef, and ranchers understand that.”
President Trump also appeared to speak directly about ranchers in an Oct. 22 post on Truth Social, saying ranchers are doing well thanks to President Trump’s tariffs and calling for lower prices. Cattle prices are rising, and experts previously told USA TODAY that this is the result of several events that have occurred in recent years. Additionally, the price consumers pay for beef is primarily determined by meatpackers, not ranchers.
Part of his solution to dealing with beef prices is to quadruple the imports of beef from Argentina. Federal agencies also announced long-term plans aimed at strengthening the U.S. beef industry, including accelerating deregulation. However, President Trump’s announcement came after the United States announced large-scale financial aid to Argentina. The country’s leaders have emulated the leadership styles of Trump and Elon Musk.
However, the move has prompted complaints from ranchers across the country. Let’s see what they have to say:
What does Argentina have to do with beef prices?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of a pound of ground beef was $6.33 in September 2025, compared to $5.58 in the same month last year.
Argentina accounts for 2.1% of U.S. beef imports and can ship up to 20,000 tons a year at lower tariffs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Amounts above that amount are subject to a 26.4% customs duty. The Trump administration plans to raise that quota to 80,000 tons, allowing more Argentine beef to be imported at reduced tax rates.
Argentina has shipped more than $800 million worth of beef products to the United States over the past five years, while purchasing only $7 million in U.S. beef, according to the National Beef Association, a trade imbalance that will only worsen under President Trump’s plan.
“If President Trump is truly an ally of American cattle producers, we call on him to abandon his attempts to manipulate the market,” NCBA CEO Colin Woodall said in a statement.
The passage of tariffs on Argentina comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s $20 billion currency swap and possible $20 billion more in aid to the country, which is facing an economic crisis.
Why did President Trump bail out Argentina?
Argentina is facing a worsening economic crisis due to the instability of its currency (Argentine peso). According to a blog published by the Council on Foreign Relations, the history of this crisis is complex, but underlying it all is the fact that the country is running out of foreign currency.
In response to a reporter’s question on Oct. 14, President Trump denied that the money was politically motivated, saying instead that “it’s meant to support a really good fiscal philosophy” and “we can help our neighbors.”
However, Trump has made clear his affinity for the Argentine president. The eclectic leader has been compared to President Trump, with the president describing Javier Milley as his “favorite president.” Mr. Millay has repeatedly brandished a chainsaw on stage to promote spending cuts, but his policies, including deregulation and free-market reforms, have destabilized the peso currency and seen investors aggressively dump Argentine stocks and bonds.
According to CNN, the Trump administration also claims that the region’s financial crisis could impact other countries in the region.
Ranchers from across the U.S. express their opinions on Argentina’s increase in imports
Wisconsin: Daniel Endvik, executive director of the Wisconsin Farmers Union, who raises beef cattle and chickens on his family’s Runamucci ranch, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the agreement could be especially tough on Wisconsin ranchers. That’s because the majority of ranchers in the state operate on a calf model, where a permanent herd of beef cattle raises calves from birth to weaning, and then the calves are sold to other operations, such as feedlots.
“Many of us haven’t sold our calves yet. Beef farmers’ salaries are often all paid at the end of the year,” Endvik said.
Florida: Florida ranchers say the president’s move to buy more beef from Argentina will hurt the state’s livestock industry. According to the Florida Beef Council, Florida currently ranks 13th in the nation in cattle numbers.
Jara Ann Corson, an eighth-generation cattle farmer in central Florida, told the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network, that the amount of beef they are importing won’t solve the price problem, but it could open the door to importing beef from around the world, which could become a safety issue.
The Florida Cattlemen’s Association said in a statement that low supply of cattle and high input costs are contributing to the price increases. Drought is also driving up prices in Western and Midwestern states, Colson added, and development is the biggest threat to the livestock industry in South Florida.
She said there are other ways to approach this problem.
“The pain of grocery stores is felt along with the rest of the country, so while trying to lower the price of beef in grocery stores puts Americans first, we need to be careful in how we do it so we don’t hurt America’s ranchers in the process,” Cawthorn said.
Oklahoma: Oklahoma continues to produce the second-highest number of beef cattle in the nation, with approximately 2 million cows and beef-only dairy cows as of early 2025. But a deal involving President Donald Trump could affect how beef is sold in the Sooner State. Rhett Lake, owner of Rhett Meat Market, previously told The Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the price of rib roast and filet mignon has increased 33% in the past two months, and although he has begun to stem cost increases by lowering his profit margins, he acknowledges that he now has to adjust his prices accordingly.
“We’re buying the same amount as usual,” Lake said. “I’m having to write a much larger check than I’ve ever had before. And unfortunately, my customers are having to pay 25 to 30 percent more than they were previously paying. And I apologize to everyone who came by, but my customers understand.”
Tennessee: Tennessee is home to more than 45,000 cattle and more than 2 million cattle. The state’s beef industry ranks ninth in the nation in number of farms and is Tennessee’s second-most profitable agricultural product, generating about $5.2 billion in annual cash income, according to data from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s office.
“The Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association is very concerned about the idea of introducing more Argentine beef to influence beef prices,” TCA President Gary Deling said in an Oct. 21 statement. “Tennessee’s cattle producers need certainty, and President Trump’s comments unfortunately created confusion in the cattle market. Tennessee’s cattle producers are proud of the beef we provide to our state and our people, and we hope the president will stand with us on Argentine beef.”
Republicans at odds over what to do about beef
Elected officials in several states, including Republican strongholds, voiced opposition to Mr. Trump’s plan in a rare disagreement within the party.
- Republican Sen. Deb Fischer nebraska“I have deep concerns” in areas where there are more cows than people, she previously told USA TODAY.
- “I proposed that energy prices across the country are going down because we’re starting to produce more energy here in the United States, not because we’re importing additional energy from other countries,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.C.south dakotasaid in a statement. “The same rules should apply to U.S. beef.”
- senator roger marshall Kansas Even if the United States increased its beef imports from Argentina by 10 times what it currently does, Americans wouldn’t feel it, he said. “I think the White House will put the right policies in place,” he told USA TODAY, adding that no matter what happens, there will be “huge demand” for U.S. beef.
- US Senator Chuck Grassley iowa “I think the president would be better off keeping his mouth shut and not tweeting about it,” he said on an Oct. 23 call with reporters, according to the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY network. “He can’t win. He should focus on what he’s doing to help beef producers,” the Iowa Republican said, praising the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Oct. 22 announcement to expand cattle producers’ access to federal land for grazing, increase U.S. meat processing capacity and reduce regulations.
“We are protecting the beef industry and encouraging new ranchers to take on the noble calling of ranching,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement following the backlash.
Contributor: Zachary screen them, Michelle Del Rey, Kim Helmgaard, Jeff Elkins, Donnell Eller, USA TODAY Network
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky (@kinseycrowley.bsky.social).
