Posted on 10/27/2025 1:50:41 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
A White House official emphasized the administration’s plans to expand the herd of domestic cattle will strengthen the beef industry in the long-run.
The official, granted anonymity to discuss internal thinking, described Argentina as a natural replacement for more highly-tariffed Brazilian beef, noting that there are broader issues for the administration to resolve in Brazil.
“President Trump pledged to protect America’s ranchers and deliver economic relief for everyday Americans,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. “The Administration is accomplishing both by expanding beef imports from Argentina to lower consumer prices in the short term while rolling out a new USDA initiative that will support ranchers and expand cattle herd sizes to keep prices lower in the long term.”
Whether Trump succeeds in ultimately lowering prices is uncertain, and Republicans argue that it will hurt ranchers while not appreciably lowering consumer costs.
“If the goal is addressing beef prices at the grocery store, this isn’t the way,” Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) said in a statement last week.
Anger over the increased imports comes amid broader discontent with a $20 billion bailout (which may double) for Argentina, even as its farmers undercut the U.S. soybean market. China has stopped its purchase of American soybeans, hurting struggling U.S. producers, a result of the trade war between the two countries. And for U.S. farmers reeling from challenges plaguing the industry, the president’s promised bailout is running out of time.
Argentina President Javier Milei visited the White House on Oct. 14, where he dined on chargrilled beef filet with Trump. In the days after that bilateral, Trump began floating the possibility of importing more beef from the South American country.
“We are working on beef, and I think we have a deal on beef that’s going to bring the price down,” Trump told reporters this month...
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Myah Ward & Grace Yarrow know as much about the ranching industry as Pete Buttieplug knew about transportation
It will take a while to get America’s cattle numbers back up from its current 73 year low.
So true. You know what...I’m fine eating chicken and fish for a couple of years so we have time to increase domestic beef production.
This is one of the dumbest ideas he’s had.
And he’s had some bad ones.
He’s going to kill the US Cattle industry AND/Or make it forever dependent on subsidy.
Full-on retard level.
What we get beef-wise from Argentina is very small.
Was shopping today, looked at steak prices and went right to the pork and chicken. Years ago I would eat steak two or three times a week, now it is per month. We are at the point now that a nice steak is a luxury. What changed in the industry?
The "climate change" hoax.
https://harrycheadle.substack.com/p/the-war-on-meat-is-only-just-beginning
Covid lockdowns and JoeBama environmental policies hurt the beef industry bad
On purpose
They should allow imports from Argentina to match the amount of beef not coming from Mexico due to the closed border for beef because of the screw worm parasite. We import tens of thousands of beef from Mexico yearly for feed lots in the US. Feed lots are down 10 - 20 percent because of the border closing. US ranchers are going to have to build their herds up for the future.
Inflation, fertilizer shortages, bad weather, enviro-communism, labor costs.
Beef is hit hardest, but the not-so-invisible hand of currency devaluation is the main driver behind all of it.
Since nobody on any side is doing a single effing thing about the dollar getting crushed, smart money should plan on it getting much, much worse.
Importing cows won't help when we're on a borrow/spend doom loop.
Would it make a difference if we imported it still on the hoof?
Here is a primer on what has driven beef prices up. It’s not the ranchers that have made the money.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_hCLjUrK1E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZiEQaK_EFs
occasionally I’ll eat grass fed hamburger from aldi’s for $5@lb but mostly I just eat chicken. You can get drumsticks there now for 1.09@lb. I’ve seen it as low as .99 and as high as 1.19.
As well wild caught sardines in water is cheap. lately its been .99 a can.
A cargo ship loaded with live cattle making a long voyage then waiting in line for days to be unloaded could be a problem. Processed meat doesn't require feeding, watering, and manure removal.
I’ve been in the meat business for 50+ years. This current price spike is mainly attributed to the US western drought from two years ago. Cattle typically take 18-24 months to get to the market. So the drought reduced herds because grazing lands were decimated 24 months ago. This is the lowest supply in 70 years. We should see a rise in supplies over the coming months coupled with a drop in prices.
Trump is screwing up here. The problem is the packing industry. I’m still buying direct from the rancher at the same price I paid three years ago.
Lately Trump has been excelling in bonehead moves.
Legal immigration can solve this; Keep the people out but let cattle in.
It’s worth nothing that some of these same ranchers (the big corporate ones) are the ones who screwed Trump by opposing the Keystone XL Pipeline.
I agree with what you say about the causes of inflated beef prices. I would, however, expect the Senator from Nebraska, who is obviously representing her constituency, to explain what would bring down beef prices since she asserts Trumps way isn’t the answer. I agree that Trumps way isn’t the answer, and I totally disagree with the plan to bail out Argentina with our current national debt. Unfortunately so many Americans don’t grasp the reality that any money the government spends over what they receive, raises the debt and is the direct cause of inflation. There ain’t no free lunch.
Your tag line is spot on.
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