The price of beef is getting to Trump (and everyone else). But ranchers are very upset by the move. 
Beef Prices per Pound
- Ground Beef: $6.89 up 78.04 percent vs pre-Covid
- Beef Steaks All Types Average: $13.06 up 70.94 percent vs pre-Covid
- Sirloin: $14.59 up 75.15 percent vs pre-Covid
- Round: $10.04 up 64.86 percent vs pre-Covid
Trump Reduces Beef Tariffs
Today, I concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families. As everyone knows, under President Biden, beef prices soared at their fastest rate and the American beef herd fell to its smallest size in modern history. As we work to rebuild this herd and help our ranchers, 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. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Aug 21, 2026, 4:52 AM
Exactly how does selling beef at 25 percent below market prices give space for our “Great American Beef Herd to grow again” ?
National Farmers Union
DOGE in Play
A Master Class in Making Enemies
But Hey, What’s the Beef?
Silence Is Golden
Reporter: On the beef deal, which countries did you make the deal with?
Trump: I don’t want to say. But they are going to be sending in the highest quality beef. And it’s something that we need.
Beef Production by Volume 2023 Numbers
| Rank | State | Approx. Beef Produced |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 6.2 billion lbs |
| 2 | Nebraska | 5.6 billion lbs |
| 3 | Kansas | 4.7 billion lbs |
| 4 | California | 2.4 billion lbs |
| 5 | Oklahoma | ~2.0 billion lbs |
| 6 | Iowa | ~1.9 billion lbs |
| 7 | Colorado | ~1.7 billion lbs |
| 8 | South Dakota | ~1.6 billion lbs |
| 9 | Wisconsin | ~1.5 billion lbs |
| 10 | Missouri | ~1.3 billion lbs |
Trump Creates Beef with Ranchers
Please note Trump Creates Beef with Ranchers Over New Import Plan
President Donald Trump’s new plan to temporarily allow more tariff-free foreign beef into the U.S. in an effort to bring down prices has only ramped up tensions with domestic cattle ranchers, who warn the policy could hurt both U.S. producers and consumers.
The backlash comes as Republicans face mounting pressure over the cost of living ahead of November’s midterm elections. Trump has been hemorrhaging support among rural voters since the beginning of his second term, which isn’t a good trend for a demographic Republicans need in their corner come November.
On Friday, Trump posted to social media his intention of removing tariffs from up to 300,000 metric tons of imported lean beef trimmings for ground beef production. The president said he secured a commitment with foreign beef exporters “that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices.”
But ranchers and farm groups are pushing back against the announcement, arguing that coupled with the absence of mandatory country-of-origin labeling and safety screening for beef, it could make it harder for consumers to distinguish imported meat from domestically raised cattle — giving imported products a competitive advantage while also drawing in questions of quality.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall said his group was “disappointed” by the announcement.
“While America’s cattle producers share the goal of keeping groceries affordable for consumers, flooding the market with government-subsidized, below-market beef is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd,” he said. Woodall noted the announcement caused cattle market futures to fall on Friday morning and will harm the “prospect of herd expansion and sacrifices long-term stability for short term messaging.”
The NCBA has skewed heavily Republican over the years in its support for federal candidates, according to OpenSecrets.org. The group’s PAC and individual contributors have given at least 89 percent of their campaign contributions to the GOP in elections dating back to 2012, with 95 percent going to Republicans in the 2024 cycle.
Trump, on Friday afternoon, defended his decision, contending that beef ranchers had indicated to his administration that the U.S. needed “help” with its available ground beef levels.
“We want to get the beef prices down, so we’ll get them down a little bit, and that’s what people want. That’s what the voters want, and that’s what I want. The ranchers are great — they’re my people,” he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.
Asked which countries were part of the beef pact, Trump declined to specify.
“I don’t want to say which countries, but there are a few countries,” he said. “But they are going to be sending in the highest-quality beef, and it’s something that we need.”
Trump Before and After the Feud with Ranchers
- Before: “We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices.“
- After: “We want to get the beef prices down, so we’ll get them down a little bit.”
Trump has a remarkable propensity to upset everyone but hard core MAGA.
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A: Because the US needs Canadian oil and gets it at bargain prices too!
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Can someone clarify for me please – do we like tariffs or we don’t as I see the same people complain when Trump puts tariffs and when he removes tariffs. It is very amusing 🙂
Since the inception of the Iran War, Trump has been grasping at straws to to try anything & everything to extricate himself from the quagmire that he, and he alone, has caused. The war has been a disaster Economic problems have ensued of which he has no answers for. He is throwing every absurd action at the problems to see what might stick and help himself out before the midterm elections.
I also have noticed that he has thrown everybody that disagrees with him under the bus…Carlson, Greene, etc. Trump states that they have abandoned MAGA. Pretty sure that it is Trump that has abandoned the principals he touted when forming the MAGA party. The MAGA party didn’t leave Trump. Trump abandoned the MAGA party with his reckless forays into foreign wars and his inane economic policies.
You’re just noticing that Trump is a narcissistic moron now? Where have you been since 2016?
“ Today, I concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families.”
Lol! A deal with himself to lower his own beef tariffs from the current 36% (IEEPA + TRQ) to 0%.
But he won’t say which countries will get the benefit of this temporary tariff removal “deal”. Probably because it hasn’t happened. Now he has to find out which countries will pay him a bribe to get this “deal”.
Two days ago he said he had a “deal” with Canada. Another lie.
And how many times did he say he had a “deal” with Iran to open the strait?
There’s no point even trying to make a deal with Trump because you know he will break it shortly after.
Thinking only about the strategery, when would this affect prices to the consumer? 6-7weeks? And do they think a little drop in beef prices will offset all the other price increases people are getting hammered with? Trump’s already on record saying he doesn’t care about high gas prices. He doesn’t care about US sailors. All he cares about is Israel.
Trump is going to allow more Imported and Tariff Free– Ground Beef into America to hopefully supply angry voters with cheaper Hamburger meat before the coming Election. But will cheap Hamburgers be enough to help Republicans at the Ballot Box.? .. But at the same time America is the 2nd largest Exporter of Beef to Foreign Markets which leaves me slightly confused.?
https://globalexporter-br.com/top-10-beef-exporting-countries-2025/
Your point being?
Not just expensive. It could also be unsafe. The libertarian kooks have eliminated government programs to test the beef for parasites, bacteria etc. So, it is a free-for-all out there.
Could be yet another chapter in the book titled, “A Libertarian Walks Into A Bear” LOL
I enjoy your analysis of economic news, but your anti Trump tirades are gratuitous. Can we just agree that some of us can’t stand the man and get on to understanding the economy and how to invest it?
Trump impacts the economy on a daily basis. Usually in a negative way. It would be foolish to ignore him.
My investment strategy is to trade the daily volatility that results.
Mish does a superb job of economic analysis. If you don’t like how he does it; go elsewhere.
One of the diehard Maggots? Thanks to the Chief Pedophile of the United States, you will probably live up to the name. You, along with the idiot farmers and ranchers, will get screwed by your cult leader but it’s a small price to pay for your zealotry. Little do you fools know that this country is being utterly and completely destroyed. China laughs when they see how the US is now hated all over the world. Good job, assholes!