American cattle ranchers are turning against President Donald Trump over his plan to import Argentine beef, warning that the measure—which is meant to curb record-high prices—will harm domestic producers.
“Cattlemen and women cannot stand behind President Trump while he undercuts the future of family farmers and ranchers by importing Argentinian beef,” the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) wrote on X on Wednesday.
The trade group, the largest representing ranchers and beef producers in the U.S., said it was imperative that Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins “let cattle markets work without interference.”
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment outside regular hours.
Why It Matters
Intended as a means of tackling the U.S.’s sky-high beef prices—while also supporting Argentina’s economy and its president, Javier Milei—Trump’s proposal has drawn intense criticism from American cattle workers, who worry it will undercut domestic competitiveness while doing little to lower consumer costs.
The plan, which remains in its preliminary stages and faces a number of hurdles, has also engendered a rare split on Capitol Hill. A handful of Republican lawmakers from farming states have voiced their opposition, arguing that the proposal contradicts the president’s own “America First” agenda.
What To Know
Last week, Trump said the administration was working to lower the price of beef, which soared to another record high in the Labor Department’s latest inflation reading, telling reporters that he was close to a “deal on beef.”
When asked for clarification on Sunday, the president said the U.S. was considering importing “some beef” from Argentina, and that this would “bring our beef prices down.”
The proposal led to immediate pushback from cattle ranchers. John Boyd, a farmer and the founder of the National Black Farmers Association, told Newsweek he was “appalled” that the president would support Argentinian agriculture over U.S. ranchers. Justin Tupper, the president of the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA), told Newsweek the plan “weakens our industry’s foundation and undermines rural America.”
The USCA sent a letter to the president on Tuesday, writing that while they appreciated the “clear desire to keep food affordable and high-quality for every American family,” the proposal was not a “healthy, transparent, or America First solution.” The group noted that imports had historically suppressed the profits of domestic producers and warned that below-standard beef from Brazil—currently facing steep U.S. tariffs—could be transshipped through Argentina using a “‘Product of USA’ loophole.”
In response to this growing opposition, Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday, writing: “The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put Tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% Tariff on Brazil.
“If it weren’t for me, they would be doing just as they’ve done for the past 20 years—Terrible! It would be nice if they would understand that, but they also have to get their prices down, because the consumer is a very big factor in my thinking, also!”
Trump wrote in a later post that tariffs had “SAVED our Cattle Ranchers!”
The cattle industry was supportive of Trump’s imposition of a 50 percent tariff on imports from Brazil—one of the U.S.’s largest foreign suppliers—which brought the total rate on the country’s beef to about 76 percent.
In September, NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus called this a “good first step” at a hearing convened by the U.S. Trade Representative, but he cautioned that further measures were needed given the country’s restrictions on U.S. imports and “long-standing concerns with the Brazilian government’s track record of food safety and animal health.”
However, the NCBA took issue with Trump’s latest Truth Social comments in a social media post on Wednesday.
“The reality is that ranchers’ success is driven by their own hard work. America’s cattlemen and women operate in one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world,” the group wrote on Facebook. “U.S. cattle producers are proud to provide the safest, highest-quality beef on earth. We simply ask that the government not undercut them by importing more Argentinian beef in order to manipulate prices.”
What People Are Saying
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during an appearance on CNBC on Tuesday: “The president has said he’s in discussions with Argentina. I think we’ll be hearing more about that in the next day or two. But … it will not be very much. Argentina’s also facing a foot-and-mouth disease issue which we at USDA have to ensure that our livestock industry is secure.”
Agricultural economist David P. Anderson previously told Newsweek: “Reducing tariffs or allowing more market access for Argentine beef would not likely have much impact at all on U.S. prices. So far in 2025 imports from Argentina have amounted to 2.1 percent of total U.S. beef imports. They don’t really have the supplies to send much beef this way. And with increased tariffs on Brazilian beef likely reducing those imports they won’t make up for that.”
Todd Armstrong, a cattle and crop farmer in Indiana, told CNN: “What frustrates me about this whole move is President Trump ran on an ‘America First’ program. I don’t see anything in this that puts America first. It’s hypocritical.”
What Happens Next
The U.S. has not finalized an agreement to purchase Argentine beef. Politico, citing sources familiar with the plans, reported that the administration sought to import 80,000 metric tons, quadrupling the current import quota, but that discussions were ongoing.
On Tuesday, a number of Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Trump requesting further clarification on the proposal.
