President Trump said he will waive higher tariffs on ground beef imports, a move aimed at lowering prices for Americans struggling with soaring meat prices.
Under the move, the U.S. will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef into the country for the next 90 days with “no out-of-quota” tariff, Mr. Trump said Friday on social media.
That would temporarily remove higher tariffs triggered when trade volume surpasses a certain quota, according to the World Trade Organization.
Mr. Trump added that his administration has secured commitments to sell beef at 25% less than market value.
He did not say which companies made that commitment or which companies he reached a deal with on import waivers. He also didn’t say which importers will sell their ground beef at below market as a result of the tariff waiver.
“This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
A May report from the American Farm Bureau Federation noted that “imports entering under quota generally face a tariff of 4.4 cents per kilogram, while imports above quota face a 26.4% tariff.”
The report added, “For beef valued around $7 per kilogram, that difference can exceed $1.80 per kilogram in tariff costs.”
Mr. Trump’s plan met resistance from some within his party as well as one former ally.
Rep. Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, called it a “slap in the face to American cattlemen & consumers.”
He added on social media, “Worse than socialism! Dumping foreign beef in U.S. markets can temporarily lower prices, but it won’t incentivize American farmers to raise more beef.”
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said Mr. Trump’s waiver will undercut American beef producers by flooding the market with cheaper imports.
“The Trump admins attempt to lower the cost of beef is American beef Last and foreign beef FIRST,” she wrote on X.
Beef prices in the U.S. have shot up in 2026 due to a reduction in the nation’s cattle herd from years of drought, high feed costs and strong consumer demand.
The average cost of ground beef is $6.89 per pound, a 57% increase from 2021, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Federal government data shows that beef prices have increased faster than those of other food. Ground beef prices rose 9% in July, while the price of beef steaks increased 9.6%, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report.
Mr. Trump has made several efforts to reduce beef prices. In February, he signed an executive order to boost imports from Argentina by 80,000 metric tons.
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