The Steaks Are High: Trump Announces New Midterms Affordability Move
President Donald Trump announced Friday that the U.S. will try to lower historically high beef prices by temporarily waiving tariffs on ground beef imports before the midterms — an election that will likely hinge on affordability and inflation concerns among voters.
U.S. beef prices have risen for decades due to smaller cattle herd sizes and high, steady consumer demand. Ground beef cost an average of $6.89 a pound in July, a 57% increase from 2021, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We have a commitment that this beef will be sold 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,” he wrote, without adding further details about the deal or the source of the beef imports.
American cattle herds have been under immense pressure in recent years because drought conditions shrink the pastures on which cattle graze. Ranchers, in turn, are forced to rely on expensive feed to make up for lost pastures, or they end up culling the herd, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has tried to lower beef prices through government intervention. Trump signed an executive order in February to boost beef imports from Argentina by 80,000 metric tons. The plan was met with pushback from American cattle ranchers in late 2025 before the president signed it. (RELATED: Cattle Farmers Beefing With Trump Admin)
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) shared its concerns in an October 2025 statement.
“This plan only creates chaos at a critical time of the year for American cattle producers, while doing nothing to lower grocery store prices,” NCBA CEO Colin Woodall said at the time.
“Additionally, Argentina has a deeply unbalanced trade relationship with the U.S. In the past five years, Argentina has sold more than $801 million of beef into the U.S. market. By comparison, the U.S. has sold just over $7 million worth of American beef to Argentina. Argentina also has a history of foot-and-mouth disease, which, if brought to the United States, could decimate our domestic livestock production,” he said.
David Ortega, a food economist and professor at Michigan State University, told CBS News in February that 80,000 tons of beef was not enough to lower prices meaningfully.
“We’re talking about less than 1% of supply,” Ortega said. “I wouldn’t expect this to have much of an impact on these prices. Now, it doesn’t hurt, but we’re not talking about any major quantities that we are importing that would immediately suppress prices.”
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The Daily Caller contacted the NCBA for comment.
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