"This Is a Betrayal" ... U.S. Ranchers Push Back as Trump Seeks Beef Tariff Cuts

[Financial News]  

U.S. ranchers have branded President Donald Trump a "traitor." Their anger followed his decision on the 21st (local time) to exempt imports of ground beef above quota from tariffs for three months in response to rising grocery prices.
The move was intended to shore up support ahead of the November midterm elections amid inflation. But it now risks backfiring by driving away a key base of support from Trump and the Republican Party.
According to foreign media including the Financial Times, Trump said foreign producers had agreed to cut prices by 25% and announced that excess tariffs on up to 30,000 tons of ground beef would be waived for the next 90 days, sparking outrage among ranchers.
He said, "Today, I finalized a deal to provide ground beef to American working families at much lower prices." He did not disclose which country or company had agreed to the terms.
A White House official said the administration would temporarily suspend tariffs on imported beef used for ground beef that exceed quota limits under the agreement. The official added that exporters shipping beef to the United States had agreed to lower export prices by 25% in return.
The official said the president would formalize the agreement through an executive order within two weeks.
Ranchers reacted strongly.
Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), said he was "disappointed by the president's statement."
He said U.S. ranchers also support the goal of supplying groceries at reasonable prices for consumers, but criticized the idea of flooding the market with government-subsidized beef sold below market value. He argued that this is not how the U.S. cattle herd should be rebuilt.
As the number of cattle raised in the United States has declined, rising beef prices have been identified as one of the main drivers of higher grocery costs. For that reason, the Trump administration has been encouraging efforts to increase cattle numbers.
According to Labor Department data, U.S. beef prices have surged by about 25% since Trump returned to the White House in January last year. Recent polls show U.S. voters are increasingly frustrated, saying their living conditions have worsened since his return to power.
Justin Tupper, president of the U.S. Cattlemen's Association (USCA), said Trump's move "weakens our market" and accused the government of "gambling with food safety." He added sarcastically that putting U.S. beef producers last is not "America First."
Republican lawmakers from rural districts also voiced strong opposition.
Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska said that while "we all want lower grocery prices," "as I have said over the past several months, U.S. producers should not have to pay the price."
Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana also said he had advised the president not to accept the proposal. He warned that if the plan goes ahead, it would make things "harder" for U.S. ranchers, most of whom are Republican MAGA supporters.

[email protected] Song Kyung-jae Reporter