Trump Signs Executive Order to Increase Argentina Beef Imports as Prices Soar
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard weighs in on President Donald Trump’s new farm-aid announcement, what it means for the industry, and the widening spread between beef and cattle prices on ‘Making Money.’
On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that temporarily expands the amount of beef the U.S. can import from Argentina. This move, according to the White House, aims to lower prices, although the nation’s largest cattle industry group has expressed skepticism.
The proclamation increases the in-quota tariff-rate quota for lean beef trimmings by 80,000 metric tons for the calendar year 2026. These additional imports will be allocated entirely to Argentina and will be released in four quarterly tranches starting February 13.
The White House stated that this action is intended to boost supply and make ground beef more affordable for American consumers, as outlined in a fact sheet regarding the order.
According to the proclamation, the Trump administration is responding to historically high beef prices and a prolonged decrease in the U.S. cattle herd.
US, ARGENTINA STRIKE SWEEPING TRADE DEAL CUTTING TARIFFS, OPENING MARKETS TO US EXPORTS
Packages of meat are seen at a grocery supermarket in Houston. (Ronald Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“Since January 2021, ground beef prices have continued to rise, reaching an average of $6.69 per pound in December 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — the highest since the Department of Labor started tracking beef prices in the 1980s,” the proclamation states.
This announcement has faced pushback from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the largest cattle industry group in the U.S. They question whether increased imports will actually provide the price relief the administration is promising.
“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,” stated Kent Bacus, executive director of international trade and market access at NCBA.
Livestock is seen in corrals in Canuelas, Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Agustin Marcarian/Reuters / Reuters Photos)
Bacus also raised concerns regarding Argentina’s history with foreign animal diseases, warning that expanding imports without stronger safeguards could jeopardize American consumers and the cattle herd.
“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 stated.
The order specifically applies to lean beef trimmings, which are primarily used in producing ground beef. Imported lean trimmings are often blended with fattier domestic trimmings to create ground beef products like hamburgers.
Under the proclamation, the additional 80,000 metric tons will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis in four equal tranches of 20,000 metric tons. The first tranche will open on February 13 and close on March 31, with subsequent quarterly openings through the end of 2026.
BEEF PRICES SOAR AS AMERICAN FAMILIES PAY STEEP PRICES FOR STEAKS AND BURGERS NATIONWIDE
A butcher carries slabs of beef in a Miami grocery store. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The White House characterized this action as temporary, emphasizing that it is tied to current supply conditions rather than indicating a permanent shift in American trade policy.
The proclamation highlights several factors contributing to the tight beef supply, including ongoing drought conditions in major cattle-producing states like Texas and Kansas, as well as wildfires that have damaged grazing land and feed supplies across the western U.S.
The Trump administration noted that the decision to allocate the entire increase to Argentina aligns with an existing U.S.–Argentina trade framework agreement reached in November 2025. A White House official informed FOX Business that the executive order implements commitments already considered under that framework.
FOX Business’ Edward Lawrence contributed to this reporting.
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard weighs in on President Donald Trump’s new farm-aid announcement, what it means for the industry, and the widening spread between beef and cattle prices on ‘Making Money.’
On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that temporarily expands the amount of beef the U.S. can import from Argentina. This move, according to the White House, aims to lower prices, although the nation’s largest cattle industry group has expressed skepticism.
The proclamation increases the in-quota tariff-rate quota for lean beef trimmings by 80,000 metric tons for the calendar year 2026. These additional imports will be allocated entirely to Argentina and will be released in four quarterly tranches starting February 13.
The White House stated that this action is intended to boost supply and make ground beef more affordable for American consumers, as outlined in a fact sheet regarding the order.
According to the proclamation, the Trump administration is responding to historically high beef prices and a prolonged decrease in the U.S. cattle herd.
US, ARGENTINA STRIKE SWEEPING TRADE DEAL CUTTING TARIFFS, OPENING MARKETS TO US EXPORTS
Packages of meat are seen at a grocery supermarket in Houston. (Ronald Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“Since January 2021, ground beef prices have continued to rise, reaching an average of $6.69 per pound in December 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — the highest since the Department of Labor started tracking beef prices in the 1980s,” the proclamation states.
This announcement has faced pushback from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the largest cattle industry group in the U.S. They question whether increased imports will actually provide the price relief the administration is promising.
“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,” stated Kent Bacus, executive director of international trade and market access at NCBA.
Livestock is seen in corrals in Canuelas, Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Agustin Marcarian/Reuters / Reuters Photos)
Bacus also raised concerns regarding Argentina’s history with foreign animal diseases, warning that expanding imports without stronger safeguards could jeopardize American consumers and the cattle herd.
“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 stated.
The order specifically applies to lean beef trimmings, which are primarily used in producing ground beef. Imported lean trimmings are often blended with fattier domestic trimmings to create ground beef products like hamburgers.
Under the proclamation, the additional 80,000 metric tons will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis in four equal tranches of 20,000 metric tons. The first tranche will open on February 13 and close on March 31, with subsequent quarterly openings through the end of 2026.
BEEF PRICES SOAR AS AMERICAN FAMILIES PAY STEEP PRICES FOR STEAKS AND BURGERS NATIONWIDE
A butcher carries slabs of beef in a Miami grocery store. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The White House characterized this action as temporary, emphasizing that it is tied to current supply conditions rather than indicating a permanent shift in American trade policy.
The proclamation highlights several factors contributing to the tight beef supply, including ongoing drought conditions in major cattle-producing states like Texas and Kansas, as well as wildfires that have damaged grazing land and feed supplies across the western U.S.
The Trump administration noted that the decision to allocate the entire increase to Argentina aligns with an existing U.S.–Argentina trade framework agreement reached in November 2025. A White House official informed FOX Business that the executive order implements commitments already considered under that framework.
FOX Business’ Edward Lawrence contributed to this reporting.
