Trump Expands Lean Beef Import Quota to Ease Ground Beef Prices

The proclamation adds 300,000 metric tons for 90 days to combat tight U.S. supplies.

Published: 8/26/2026, 10:11:27 PM EDT

Trump Expands Lean Beef Import Quota to Ease Ground Beef Prices — Ground beef is offered for sale at a grocery store in Chicago, Ill., on May 22, 2026. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump on Wednesday temporarily increased the amount of lean beef trimmings allowed into the United States under lower tariff rates, aiming to bring down ground beef prices at the shops.

The action increases the lower tariff import quota by 300,000 metric tons for the rest of 2026. It applies only to specific lean trimmings used in ground beef. The extra volume will be released in three 30-day tranches beginning Sept. 1, administered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Trump had begun to consider the move days before the announcement. On Aug. 21, he posted on Truth Social that the United States would allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef with no out-of-quota tariff for 90 days.

“Today, I concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families,” Trump said in the post. “As everyone knows, under President [Joe] Biden, beef prices soared at their fastest rate and the American beef herd fell to its smallest size in modern history.”

“As we work to rebuild this herd and help our ranchers, for the next 90 days, the United States will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out-of-quota tariff,” he continued.

He said the imported product carried a commitment to sell at 25 percent below current market prices. “This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again.”

The formal proclamation builds on an earlier one from February that raised the Argentine allocation by 80,000 metric tons. Officials tracking supplies concluded further steps were needed.

U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts show beef output dropping about 4 percent this year from 2025 levels. The national cattle herd stood at 86.2 million head as of Jan. 1, the lowest since 1951.

Several factors have kept supplies tight. Restrictions on live cattle imports from Mexico remain in place to prevent the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating pest, from entering the country, although trade is resuming in stages. Drought and wildfires have compromised grazing land in cattle regions. Feed costs remain high. At the same time, domestic demand for beef continues to rise.

The White House fact sheet said the temporary increase should lift overall beef supply by roughly 10 percent above current projections. It targets the lean trimmings used with U.S. beef for ground product and is not expected to impact the fed-cattle market.

Officials will monitor whether the imported trimmings actually sell at the promised discount. If they do not, the remaining quota can be cut.

Ground beef prices had already climbed sharply. The average reached almost $7 a pound during the second quarter, up about 70 percent since early 2021, according to a July report that tracked grocery costs ahead of summer barbecues.

Cattle groups have long held mixed feelings about adjustments to beef imports. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association previously said similar steps undercut family ranchers and offered little real relief at the store. Processors, meanwhile, have faced their own squeeze. Four companies handle most fed cattle. Some large plants have scaled back or closed as fewer animals move through the U.S. supply chain.

The proclamation leaves the earlier Argentine increase untouched. It does not change free-trade agreement commitments or country-specific quotas. Customs and Border Protection will handle the new volumes. The agriculture secretary and U.S. trade representative must keep monitoring supplies and prices and report back if more action is required.

Trump’s earlier February proclamation also targeted unwieldy beef prices resulting from supply shocks and market disruptions. Wednesday’s announcement keeps the same legal footing under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, which allows a temporary quota lift when domestic supply looks inadequate due to natural disasters, disease, or major market disruption.

From The Epoch Times