President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order significantly expanding U.S. beef imports from Argentina, a move the administration says is intended to ease historically high ground beef prices but that has prompted strong opposition from American cattle producers and some lawmakers.
The proclamation, titled “Ensuring Affordable Beef for the American Consumer,” temporarily increases the tariff-rate quota for lean beef trimmings by 80,000 metric tons. The additional volume will be allowed into the United States tariff-free, distributed in four quarterly tranches of 20,000 metric tons through the end of the year. Lean beef trimmings are commonly mixed with higher-fat domestic cuts to produce ground beef, which has seen sharp price increases over the past year.
The order is part of a broader trade agreement with Argentina signed Thursday. Argentina’s Foreign Ministry said the deal “grant[s] an unprecedented expansion of preferential access for Argentine beef” to the U.S. market, amounting to roughly 100,000 tons in additional access overall. The ministry estimated the agreement could boost Argentine beef exports to the United States by approximately $800 million.
Administration officials argue the expanded imports are a targeted, temporary response to tight domestic supply conditions. The U.S. cattle herd remains near historic lows after years of drought and other pressures, contributing to higher prices across the beef market. According to Federal Reserve and Labor Department data, ground beef averaged about $6.69 per pound in December 2025 — the highest level recorded since the federal government began tracking retail prices in the 1980s. Trump and senior aides have said that adding supply through imports could help moderate those costs for consumers.
Cattle industry groups, however, dispute the effectiveness of the policy and warn it could harm U.S. producers. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) described the expansion as a “misguided effort” that would undercut family ranchers while doing little to reduce grocery store prices. The group argues that domestic production levels, processing capacity, and broader market dynamics — rather than imports — are the primary drivers of retail beef prices.
In October, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall reiterated those concerns, saying the plan could inject uncertainty into cattle markets and erode recent gains for U.S. producers, particularly given that Argentine beef still accounts for a relatively small share of total U.S. consumption.
“The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and its members cannot stand behind the President while he undercuts the future of family farmers and ranchers by importing Argentinian beef in an attempt to influence prices,” Woodall said. “It is imperative that President Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins let the cattle markets work.”
Some Republican lawmakers have also raised objections. Last fall, GOP members of Congress sent a letter to Rollins and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warning that expanding imports of Argentine beef could “undermine American cattle producers, weaken our position in ongoing trade negotiations, and reintroduce avoidable animal-health risks,” according to the letter obtained by Border Report.
The White House said the Agriculture Department and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office will continue to monitor lean beef supplies and import levels and will advise the administration on any additional actions needed to ensure adequate availability in the domestic market.
