WASHINGTON (RFD-TV) — The U.S. cattle industry is pushing back against the Trump Administration’s plan to import beef from Argentina. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) warns the move could disrupt markets for U.S. producers without bringing down grocery store prices.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins says more details are coming on Wednesday regarding the Trump Administration’s plan to lower consumer beef prices in an interview last night on “NewsNation.” Still, cattle groups are crying foul over the government’s involvement.
The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) is now urging the White House to reconsider federal action, warning it could distort already strained markets. USCA President Justin Tupper says markets are already strained with the national cow herd at a 75-year low. He says current cattle prices reflect the industry’s struggles lately with rising costs of feed, fuel, and labor.
Tupper warns that if the government steps in, it could trigger volatility that would shake the market’s foundation. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is also watching the situation unfold. NCBA CEO Colin Woodall said more conversations need to happen with stakeholders present.
“There also needs to be a realization from the president, from the secretary, that any offhanded comment, as innocuous as they may think that it is, can have huge ramifications in the marketplace,” Woodall said. “We saw that on Friday, when the futures market just absolutely crashed, and that cost this industry and a lot of cattle producers a lot of money.”
Woodall joined us on Wednesday’s Market Day Report to provide his reaction to the proposal, which could have profound implications for American cattlemen, raising concerns about market stability and disease risk.
In his interview with RFD-TV News, Woodall notes that Argentina’s domestic market already consumes roughly 70 to 75 percent of its own beef, suggesting the volume available for export to the U.S. would be limited and unlikely to affect retail prices.
As the administration says more details are coming on efforts to lower beef costs, Woodall and other industry leaders are calling for solutions that support U.S. producers rather than relying on increased imports.
Helping Producers Push Through the Shutdown
The shutdown is now in its third week, and emergency aid remains on hold until it is over. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) told colleagues that farmers are struggling, emphasizing the importance of sending a strong message to China.
“Our farmers are having a hard time right now, as you well know,” Sen. Hoeven said. “As the Administration works to secure better trade deals with other nations, it’s critical that we don’t allow China to use our farmers as a pressure point.”
Sen. Hoeven and others are urging the White House to provide emergency aid until stronger price supports take effect next year. Again, Secretary Rollins says a plan is in place as soon as the shutdown ends.
Despite the shutdown, emergency work carries on. This includes efforts to fight the New World Screwworm. The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association says it remains focused on holding Mexico accountable.
“A lot of what Mexico is doing right now is passive surveillance, and what they need to be doing is active surveillance. So, we continue to push from CCA, NCBA, and then from the USDA, and higher levels from there. And so, you know, this is an immediate threat to those border states like Texas and others. But just like the cattle industry, and we all know the cattle industry, this can have a wide effect.”
Safety measures remain in place as the shutdown continues, including emergency plans for APHIS. Testing is also still happening for diseases like New World Screwworm and Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu (HPAI).
Argentina Beef Imports Unlikely To Lower U.S. Prices
Expanding beef imports from Argentina would do little to reduce U.S. prices, according to Dr. Derrell Peel, livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University Extension. In his latest analysis, Peel explains that while Argentina is the world’s fifth-largest beef exporter, its role in U.S. supply remains small — accounting for just 2.1 percent of total imports so far this year.
Argentina consumes 70–75 percent of its own beef, leaving limited export capacity. Even if the U.S. doubled 2024-level imports, Peel estimates the added volume would barely affect total U.S. beef supply and could only occur at the expense of Argentina’s domestic or other export markets. “At most, it might have a very slight — and probably undetectable — impact on moderating expected future increases in U.S. ground beef prices,” he wrote.
Most Argentine shipments are lean processing beef used for ground-beef blending — similar to Brazilian imports and far smaller in scale. Peel notes that record U.S. beef imports have already helped offset reduced domestic nonfed beef output and stabilize ground-beef prices. Still, additional tonnage from Argentina would not change the market trajectory.
