Trump to allow import of 300,000 metric tons of ground beef without tariff

CNBNC ^ | August 21, 2026 | Dan Mangan

[Miami Rebel]

President Donald Trump on Friday morning said the United States will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported over the next three months without being subject to out-of-quota tariffs.

Trump also said, “We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices.”

The president’s Truth Social post announcing the move did not say which companies had made those commitments, which he said came “as we work to rebuild this herd and help our ranchers.”

Trump did not say who he had reached a deal with on the import waivers, or which importers have committed to selling ground beef at below-market prices as a result of the tariff relief.

CNBC has requested comment from White House, major U.S. beef suppliers, and from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association about Trump’s announcement.

The U.S. imposes tariffs on imported beef beyond a certain quota limit for individual countries.

A report in May from the American Farm Bureau Federation noted that “imports entering under quota generally face a tariff of just 4.4 cents per kilogram, while imports above quota face a 26.4% tariff.”

“For beef valued around $7 per kilogram, that difference can exceed $1.80 per kilogram in tariff costs,” the report said.

Beef prices in the U.S have soared in 2026 due to a reduction in the nation’s cattle herd from years of drought, high feed costs and herd liquidation.

Read more CNBC politics and policy coverage Trump touted a deal to avert new tariffs on Canada. Here’s what we know so far UAE severs trade with Iran after reported missile strike Ukraine’s Zelenskyy faces call for wartime election from former defense chief U.S. push for allies to step up defense spending may mean more nuclear states Trump pauses 50% scheduled tariffs on Canada for three days, announces ‘deal’ Trump’s post comes as his fellow Republicans fear that Americans’ concerns about the affordability of everyday products such as food could lead to losses for GOP candidates in congressional elections in November.

“Today, I concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families,” Trump said in his post.

“This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again,” he said.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food
KEYWORDS: beef; groundbeef; tariffs

[escapefromboston]

American cattle has been at an all time low in recent years , I assume it will take awhile to get the numbers back up.
I’ve read that the problem is the lack meat processing plants but I really don’t know much about that

[Hyman Roth]

Make Beef Great Again

[Flavious_Maximus]

Beef from Australia or Argentina perhaps? Argentine President Javier Milei is good friends with President Trump.

Reducing the price of beef is essential to lowering grocery prices. Hamburger is an American staple.

[montag813]

Argentine beef is among the best in the world.

[sockmonkey]

I still get mine from Mason, TX. It was $5.25 a lb last time I bought a half. I also buy American Wagyu from George West, TX. I just buy ground beef from them.

The cost for bulk beef will be $5.75 (whole beef) and $6.00 (half beef) per hanging weight lb which is an amazing price. Our goal is to provide you with protein needs at the best possible pricing for our quality of cattle.

[Jane Long]

Does the article even state where these 300,000 metric tons of imported beef will be coming from??

What’s the vaccination schedule of said beef ... not that they’d ever say.

[Jane Long]

Wheeler Wagyu?

I’ve looked at their site, before. I wonder if they’re one of the American Wagyu providers, for HEB.

[Sacajaweau]

I still buy beef...when aldi has Wagu gr bf for $4.99 lb...I stock up...lotsa things you can do...

Last I heard...cattle barons don't want to grow their herds

[Theoria]

“We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices.”

Rip domestic producers. WH gonna lecture folk about socialism again after doing this? Flooding the market with tariff favored product, lol. Can't make this up.

[Ex-Con777]

That Krassenstein dweeb on X is having a cow over this. I don’t get his beef. It won’t affect the price of his soy.

EC

[Miami Rebel]

If this is the plan the VERY LEAST that can be done is mandatory country of origin labeling so consumers know where the beef they’re buying is coming from. Importing a bunch of foreign beef is just a giant gift to the meat packers who then get to undercut our American ranchers… pic.twitter.com/0CxEKgkZcH

— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) August 21, 2026

[Sequoyah101]

He said he would do this a few months ago then changed his mind or had it changed for him.

Quit growing corn for fuel for a start to lowering food prices.

[escapefromboston]

I don’t really care either way but do consumers really care what country their beef comes from ?

[kaktuskid]

So how much more do you want to pay for a hamburger?

The problem isn’t the ranchers, who fight drought, predators, and gov regulations to raise cows. Or the farmers. Or the pig and chicken raisers.

Blame Tyson, Cargill, Smithfield, ADM, and all of big-AG.

[kaktuskid]

And put a 90-day ban on exports of Diesel Fuel and gasoline.

[mewzilla]

Make Country of Origin Labeling for beef and pork great again.

[oldeguy]

Are we going to get verification on the fat vs lean content of this ground beef? How do we know that it isn’t repurposed trimmings with a healthy dose of pink slime added?

One of the concerns we all should have is that eating red meat boosts our testosterone levels which have been falling off for years. I think that the powers that want to control us know this and have purposely limited our supplies of red meat, while boosting the availability of chicken and soy products.

[Theoria]

Farmers have to have a rate high enough to make a living on and pay their bills. That's the natural order of things. Every consumer faces those same factors across life, picking winners and losers in life by the government isn't a thing to be proud off. We all choose our own adventure and know those issues out there.

Blame big corps? They are always out there, and not just affecting farmers, but all of us.

If you were really diabolical, you would import foreign meat and drive down prices, so big Ag could consolidate more and drive out the small farmer. Perhaps that is the WH plan after all.

[Wallace T.]

I avoid buying any products from Tyson, Cargill, Smithfield, ADM. As far as Tyson goes, I have avoided them since the 1990s, when it was evident that the company's principal was a big Bill Clinton supporter. If you are in Texas or the Southwest, Nolan Ryan Beef and Braum’s are independently owned enterprises not controlled by the big players. You can also go to farmers markets and deal directly with beef, pork, and poultry producers who sell directly to consumers.