Trump signs controversial beef import plan despite ranchers' backlash
A slew of Republican lawmakers and beef industry allies have come out against President Donald Trump's plans that aim to lower the cost of ground beef.
By Grace Yarrow
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday that aims to lower ground beef prices by dramatically boosting imports from other countries despite outrage from Republicans and allies in the beef industry.
Trump’s proclamation will remove tariffs from 300,000 metric tons of imported lean beef trimmings for 90 days. He said the countries supplying the beef would sell it at 25 percent below current market prices, as he first announced on Truth Social Friday.
The administration is also eyeing a separate group of industry-friendly policy updates to roll out alongside the import plan, in hopes of quelling wrath from the beef industry and some Republican lawmakers, according to two people familiar with the plans who were granted anonymity to discuss them. Some of the changes the White House is considering — like mandating country-of-origin labels on beef products sold in the U.S. — would require congressional action.
The president’s move is the latest in a series of efforts to ease consumer strain at the grocery store ahead of the midterms. And it comes as White House officials and allies are increasingly worried that stubborn inflation could harm Republican prospects in November — with aides betting that addressing Americans’ broader affordability concerns is worth temporarily enraging ranchers, a loyal GOP constituency.
Trump’s proclamation does not specify which countries will supply the beef imports, as questions have swirled about which countries even have the supply of trimmings to export in the short term. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters Tuesday that she was not “privy” to that information and that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was working closely with Trump on the details of the imports.
Trump said he could also halt the increased imports if beef prices don’t come down or if countries do not sell at a 25 percent discount the president said he had negotiated.
“If the action taken in this proclamation does not result in a lower sale price of imported ground beef, I may end the action taken in this proclamation in order to, among other things, prevent a windfall to foreign producers,” Trump said in the proclamation.
The additional lean trimmings — used for ground beef — will be imported during three 30-day tranches, the first of which will open on Sept. 1.
The White House had drafted a similar executive order for Trump to sign in May, but delayed and then shelved the plans as his inner circle was divided on the scope of the new imports. The import plans have rattled cattle markets and infuriated key agriculture groups and Hill Republicans who typically support the Trump administration’s policies.
A new wave of industry backlash from the American Farm Bureau Federation, Livestock Marketing Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and United States Cattlemen’s Association took hold before the White House released Wednesday’s proclamation.
“This announcement has already driven cattle markets sharply lower and undermines producers at a critical time of year when they are marketing cattle and making herd-building decisions,” leaders of four agriculture industry groups wrote in a letter to Trump that was obtained by POLITICO.
“We urge you to reverse course on this 90-day import plan and work with us instead on solutions that strengthen, rather than weaken, America’s capacity to feed itself,” they wrote.
Congressional Republicans contend that Trump’s proclamation will disincentivize ranchers from further investing in building their cattle herds to increase beef supply in the long term.
“With cattle inventory at 75-year lows, we must focus on policies which empower ranchers to rebuild our domestic herd,” Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) posted on X Wednesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.