In a social media post on Friday, August 21st- President Trump is taking another run at trying to lower hamburger prices for consumers. President Donald Trump posted an announcement stating that the U.S. will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product intended for ground beef to enter the country over the next 90 days without paying high out-of-quota tariffs. He claimed the product comes with a commitment to be sold at 25 percent below current market prices to relieve pressure on U.S. consumer grocery bills while giving the U.S. domestic herd time to rebuild.
The initial announcement on Truth Social did not explicitly specify which individual countries will supply the beef. The post also does not explain how the President knows the product will sell 25% below the current market. Boneless frozen lean beef and related processing manufacturing cuts typically represent 60% to 70%+ of overall beef imports, which translates to approximately 50 million to 70 million pounds of lean processing beef entering the U.S. every week. The 300,000 metric tons equates to 661 million pounds- so the President’s plan- if it happens- would provide cheaper imported lean beef for about ten weeks.
Early reaction on X includes cattle ranchers not happy- “Could somebody ask @SecRollins how the government crashing the cattle market with cheap imports is beneficial or helpful to rebuilding the herd?” He adds- “I’ll hang up and listen.”
DTN reports “The action would mark the second executive order by Trump aimed at lowering beef prices through increased imports. In February 2026, the administration implemented plans to import 80,000 metric tons of Argentine beef in quarterly tranches through calendar year 2026.
“The announcement on Friday was not anticipated. Trump has been relatively quiet on the issue since May, with attention instead focused on a potential deal with Canada to reduce its 50% tariff on U.S. beef and other trade issues involving dairy.
“Trump described the latest action as a “deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families.”
Cattle futures on Friday morning are sharply lower- live cattle futures are down $3 to $4 per hundred while feeder cattle futures have dropped $3 to $6 per hundred.
