President Donald Trump wants to import meat from Argentina to lower beef prices. Local state Republicans aren’t happy about this.
Why are beef prices soaring?
Beef prices are at an all-time high, and analysts say they’re not going to go down anytime soon.
Fox – 5 Atlanta
WASHINGTON – There’s a lot of back and forth between Congress and the White House.
Republican lawmakers from local states typically don’t like to criticize President Donald Trump, but they are unhappy with his plan to increase imports of beef from Argentina at a time when prices are at record highs, which he unveiled on Air Force One over the weekend. Government officials confirmed Wednesday that the United States is preparing to quadruple its beef purchases from the South American country.
“Prices in our country are way down. The only thing that’s really going up is beef,” President Trump said in the Oval Office on October 22. “We’re going to do something very quickly and easily to bring down beef. Ranchers understand that.”
But ranchers have so far been far from sympathetic to the move, with prominent livestock producer groups accusing Trump of disrespecting them in recent days.
“If President Trump is truly an ally of American cattle producers, we call on him to abandon this effort to manipulate the market,” said Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattle and Beef Association.
The reaction has upset Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer and others. Her state has more cattle than people and has “the best beef in the world,” she said.
“I have deep concerns,” she told USA TODAY.
In a rare show of disapproval, some Republicans in Congress are urging Trump to reconsider.
On October 21, a group of House Republicans from rural states such as North Dakota and Montana sent a letter to the president and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins expressing their concerns. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) said he met with the president and Cabinet members at the White House to discuss the matter.
“I suggested that energy prices across the country are falling not because we are importing additional energy from other countries, but because we have started producing more energy here in the United States,” Lowndes said in a statement. “The same rules should apply to U.S. beef.”
Amid growing backlash, multiple federal agencies this week announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening the U.S. beef industry, including accelerated deregulation.
“We are committed to protecting the beef industry and encouraging new ranchers to take on the noble calling of ranching,” Rollins said in a statement.
Beef prices hit record high
The disagreement arises as U.S. beef prices soar.
Due in part to drought, the country’s cattle herds are smaller than they have been in decades.
The USDA reported in July that the average retail price of beef was $9.69 per pound, an increase of about $1 from a year ago and $3.60 from 2019.
In response, restaurant chains like City Barbecue in Ohio have begun prioritizing other meats, including chicken and pork, due to concerns about sticker shock among customers, according to the Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network.
However, not all Republicans are concerned about this issue. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said that even if the U.S. were to increase beef imports from Argentina 10 times what they are now, Americans wouldn’t feel it.
“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.
Zachary Schermele is a Congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social..
