Trump waives beef tariffs to ease grocery prices

President Donald Trump said Friday the United States will temporarily waive higher tariffs on some ground beef imports, opening the door to as much as 300,000 metric tons over 90 days in an effort to bring down prices that have climbed to historic highs.

Trump announced the move on Truth Social, saying the imports would enter with “no out-of-quota tariff,” referring to the higher tariff rate that typically applies once beef imports from a country exceed a set quota.

“We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices,” Trump wrote. “This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again.”

The president did not identify the country or companies involved in the agreement. When Al Jazeera asked for details, a White House official said Trump would formally sign an executive order “within the next two weeks.” The official said that, in exchange for the tariff relief, Trump had secured a deal with foreign beef exporters who would provide “a 25 percent discount on beef exports to be passed along to American consumers.”

The White House did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment.

The announcement comes as beef prices remain a persistent strain for consumers. As of July, ground beef cost an average of $6.89 per pound, up 57% from five years earlier, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, citing federal labor data. The latest Consumer Price Index report showed ground beef prices rose 9% in July from a year earlier, while beef steaks rose 9.6%.

Al Jazeera reported that ground beef was $5.55 per pound when Trump returned to the White House, citing U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. By July, the price had risen to $6.89, an increase of 24% since he took office and 10% from the prior July.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson said the tariff action would “help address the affordability of beef” during a period of record-high consumer demand. The spokesperson said Trump is also “cutting regulations for our farmers and ranchers and rebuilding our nation’s cattle supply.”

Beef prices have risen for decades, driven chiefly by shrinking cattle herds and strong consumer demand. The USDA has said worsening drought conditions have reduced pastureland, forcing ranchers to rely on more costly feed and, in some cases, cull their herds. In July, the nation’s beef cow herd fell to 28.5 million head, a record low for that month, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Trump also blamed former President Joe Biden for the rise in beef prices. “As everyone knows, under President Biden, beef prices soared at their fastest rate and the American beef herd fell to its smallest size in modern history,” he wrote.

The administration has previously tried to increase beef imports. In February, Trump signed an executive order to boost imports from Argentina by 80,000 metric tons, according to CBS News. Al Jazeera reported that the White House also pushed last October to buy more beef from Argentina, drawing backlash from U.S. ranching and farming groups.

Some experts have questioned whether expanded imports can significantly lower prices, CBS News reported, saying the additional beef represents a small share of the overall U.S. supply. Cattle industry groups have opposed import increases over concerns they could undercut American producers. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment.

Sen. Tim Sheehy, a Montana Republican and Trump ally, criticized the latest move, saying it would hurt cattle ranching families and farm groups.

“I’ve advised President Trump against this course of action for a year because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades and this will further harm them – most of whom are MAGA Republicans,” Sheehy wrote on X.