
In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with OSU Extension livestock market economist Dr. Derrell Peel, who says that while some U.S. cattle producers dislike the idea of importing beef, imports play a necessary role in meeting consumer demand. “Beef is lots of different things,” he explained. “Once we fabricate those animals, it produces thousands of different products,” and the mix of what’s produced doesn’t always match what consumers prefer. Imports, he said, “help support and actually utilize the fatty trimmings that we get off our fed cattle in order to turn all of that into ground beef and support the enormous appetite we have in the U.S. for hamburgers.”
Dr. Peel noted President Trump’s recent comments about importing Argentine Beef to lower Consumer beef prices. He said imports have “increased significantly in the last couple of years,” largely because of “the dramatic decreases we’ve had in cow slaughter and bull slaughter in the U.S.,” which are the main domestic sources of lean beef. Bringing in lean beef from abroad helps “maintain that part of our beef market in the U.S.” Dr. Peel did a deep dive on the Trump comments Monday in his weekly Cow Calf Corner analysis- click here to read his answer to the question, Could beef imports from Argentina reduce beef prices in the U.S.?
When it comes to lean beef imports, Peel identified Australia and Brazil as the two dominant suppliers. “Australia has been in sort of recovery mode they’ve increased significantly in the last couple of years,” he said, returning to historical levels after a production downturn. Meanwhile, “Brazil has increased because they do have access for fresh beef exports to the U.S.,” though that trade has come “with some restrictions.”
Peel added that high import tariffs recently placed on Brazilian beef are likely to “significantly curtail the beef imports from Brazil going forward.” He said data from midyear still showed Brazil as a major supplier, but updated numbers—once available—should reflect a decrease. “The export data is two months delayed under the best of circumstances,” he noted, and the latest reports have been further slowed by the government shutdown.
As for Argentina, the country highlighted by President Trump, Peel said its contribution is small. “Argentina represented just about 2.1% of our total beef import,” he said, calling it “a very minor source of supply.” Even if imports from Argentina increased, he added, “it would represent at most just a minor amount to offset what we expect the decrease to be coming from Brazil.”
Peel emphasized that imports and exports together “help balance the supply of various beef products in the U.S. market.” The U.S. exports both high-value and lower-value cuts to maximize returns and satisfy global preferences. “Exports actually help us sort of optimize U.S. beef demand,” Peel said, while imports ensure enough lean beef for burgers—“40 to 45% of total U.S. beef consumption.” Despite record prices, he concluded, “beef demand has continued to be very robust, very resilient,” and “imports are not seriously holding back prices in the U.S.”
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.