WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD News) — As the U.S. prepares to import cheaper foreign beef, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) warns the move will do little to influence consumer prices.
Kent Bacus with NCBA says very little of that beef will make its way to grocery stores.
“The way they’ve designed this new waiver of the over-quota tariff is to encourage imports of lean beef trimmings. What most folks don’t recognize is that roughly 80% of what is consumed in the United States is produced here in the United States. What we’re bringing in is primarily lean trimmings, and a lot of that’s going to go into fast food. It’s going to be combined with our fattier trimmings and used for hamburgers, for ground beef. That’s really where we’re going to see a lot of it.”
Bacus says the move is more of a performance than a solution.
“To be honest with you, no one knows. This was definitely a press event. They wanted to feature some social media influencers. That’s really who they brought into the room on that. At the end of the day, this was pitched as how they were going to help the livestock sector, how they were going to help encourage the industry to grow.”
Bacus is urging the administration to allow market forces to address the issue, adding that cattle producers are frustrated with the situation.
