Texas cattle ranchers and beef producers are sounding the alarm over a Trump administration plan to significantly increase beef imports from Argentina, warning that the move threatens both the domestic cattle market and the safety of the U.S. beef supply.
The backlash came after President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, floated the idea of importing more beef from Argentina to help bring down rising prices at home. “We would buy some beef from Argentina,” Trump said. “If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down.”
According to a Reuters report Thursday, the White House is preparing to quadruple the tariff rate quota on Argentine beef—from 20,000 to 80,000 metric tons. While the policy has not yet been finalized, administration officials have indicated that an announcement could come soon.
Administration Defends Move as Inflation Measure
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins confirmed that the proposal is under active consideration during a Tuesday interview with CNBC. Rollins emphasized that the additional imports would represent a small fraction of total U.S. beef consumption.
“The president has mentioned it a couple of times,” Rollins said. “In America, we consume about 12 million metric tons of beef—10 million of that we produce here. The two million I’m talking about, we’ve been offshoring. And there’s different parts of that.”
She added that “as part of 12 million metric tons, it will not be very much,” while stressing that the administration remains focused on “reinvigorating the beef industry” amid supply shortages caused by years of drought and rising feed costs.
Rollins also posted a clip of the interview to social media, writing that the administration is working to “reinforce and prioritize the American rancher’s critical role in the national security of the United States.”
Ranchers Cry Foul
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) quickly condemned the administration’s plan, calling it a short-sighted move that “undercuts the future of family farmers and ranchers by importing Argentinian beef.”
“If the administration is truly an ally of America’s cattle producers,” the NCBA said in a statement, “we call on him to abandon this effort to manipulate markets and instead focus on protecting the domestic herd—by completing the promised New World Screwworm facility in Texas, defending against foreign animal diseases like foot-and-mouth disease, and easing regulatory burdens.”
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) issued a similar warning, noting that importing beef from a country where foot-and-mouth disease remains a concern poses “a serious threat to the health of the U.S. cattle herd.”
“It also undermines efforts to stabilize the market through natural herd rebuilding,” the group said.
Broader Economic and Trade Implications
Even as ranchers voiced opposition, Rollins—joined by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler—announced a suite of new initiatives aimed at strengthening the U.S. beef industry. The actions include investments in disease prevention, market access, and rural infrastructure.
The debate over Argentine beef comes as the U.S. and Argentina expand broader economic ties. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced last week that the two countries had agreed to a $20 billion currency swap and a potential $20 billion debt facility, part of an effort to stabilize Argentina’s economy ahead of its midterm elections.
At the same time, Argentina’s decision to suspend its soybean export tax has triggered renewed trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The American Soybean Association noted that after the tax was lifted, China—the world’s largest soybean buyer—purchased roughly 20 shiploads of Argentine soybeans, leaving U.S. producers sidelined.
“China is the world’s largest soybean customer and typically our top export market,” the group said. “The U.S. has made zero sales to China in this new crop year due to 20 percent retaliatory tariffs… allowing Brazil and now Argentina to capture our market at the direct expense of U.S. farmers.”
Trump: “Argentina Is Fighting for Its Life”
When asked about criticism from American producers, Trump defended the administration’s broader engagement with Buenos Aires.
“Argentina is fighting for its life,” he told reporters. “We’re helping them get through a difficult time.”
But for many Texas ranchers, that help feels like a threat. As market prices remain high and cattle inventories hit record lows, they fear that an influx of cheaper imported beef could undercut their recovery just as the industry begins to rebuild.
