U.S. to Quadruple Beef Imports from Argentina

Fox Business’ Jasmine Baehr reported that “President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order temporarily expanding the amount of beef the U.S. can import from Argentina, a move the White House says is aimed at lowering prices but that the nation’s largest cattle industry group disputes.”

“The proclamation increases the in-quota tariff-rate quota for lean beef trimmings by 80,000 metric tons for calendar year 2026. The additional imports will be allocated entirely to Argentina and released in four quarterly tranches beginning Feb. 13,” Baehr reported. “The White House said the action is intended to boost supply and make ground beef more affordable for American consumers in a fact sheet on the order. According to the proclamation, the Trump administration is acting in response to historically high beef prices and a prolonged decrease in the U.S. cattle herd.”

However, “the announcement drew pushback from the nation’s largest cattle industry group, which questioned whether increased imports would deliver the price relief the administration is promising,” Baehr reported. “‘While we fundamentally disagree with the premise that increased imports can lower beef prices, NCBA is encouraged to see the Trump administration take necessary steps to address longstanding market-access challenges for U.S. beef in Argentina,’ said Kent Bacus, executive director of international trade and market access at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).”

“Bacus warned that Argentina’s history with foreign animal diseases raises concerns about expanding imports without stronger safeguards,” Baehr reported. “‘Given Argentina’s issues with foreign animal diseases, NCBA remains concerned that expanding imports from Argentina without increased inspection protocols and up-to-date audits could place American consumers and our cattle herd at unnecessary risk,’ Bacus said.”

Reuters’ Tom Polansek reported that “economists have said increased U.S. imports of Argentine beef will likely be too small to significantly lower costs for grocery store shoppers, but the shipments could help improve margins for food companies.”

Initial Reactions Largely Negative

Agri-Pulse’s Steve Davies reported that “initial reaction from Congress was negative. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said in a brief statement, ‘Nebraska produces the world’s best beef. Instead of imports that sideline American ranchers, we should be focused on solutions that cut red tape, lower production costs, and support growing our cattle herd.'”

Previous administrations have similarly invited increased beef imports with the same expectation that increasing imports would lower consumer beef prices. In practice consumer beef prices were not reduced but instead, increased imports correlated with the shrinking of the U.S.…

— R-CALF USA (@RCALFUSA) February 7, 2026

“Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., who chairs the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, said that while U.S. cattle herds are at historic lows, policies should prioritize strengthening the market and ‘create long-term certainty for the entire supply chain,'” Davies reported. “‘Now more than ever, we must deliver policies which drive confidence in the market, eliminate burdensome regulations, and lower production costs.'”

RFK Jr. Asks Cattle Producers to Increase Herd Size

RFD News’ Marion Kirkpatrick reported that “cattle were top of mind for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy as he spoke (last) week at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) CattleCon in Nashville, urging producers to retain their breeding cows.”

“‘Begging you to increase the size of their herds,’ Secretary Kennedy told beef industry stakeholders at CattleCon 2026 in Nashville on Thursday evening,” Kirkpatrick reported. “‘We had 132 head, 132 million head in 1972. We have 92 million today. And a lot of producers are now — because of fluctuations in the markets and uncertainty — slaughtering the breeding cows. And I’d ask you to stop doing that. We need a lot of beef, and we want to make it here in America. We don’t want to be importing it from other countries.'”

“His statement came just before news that a new U.S.-Argentina trade deal has been signed, primarily to increase ground beef imports to the United States,” Kirkpatrick reported. “The latest cattle inventory report showed no signs of the herd rebuilding. Similarly, year over year, total cattle on feed are now 3 percent lower.”