A longtime Texas cattle ranchers group is blasting President Donald Trump’s plan to allow up to 300,000 additional metric tons of foreign beef into the United States at a lower tariff rate in an effort to bring down ground beef prices.
The Trump administration finalized the plan Wednesday, saying it is intended to lower beef prices amid domestic supply challenges. The measure temporarily expands the amount of lean beef trimmings that can enter the United States at the lower, in-quota tariff rate.
The administration say the plan includes safeguards designed to lower cost for consumers while limiting the impact on American ranchers. The Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas, however, argues the additional imports could hurt domestic producers.
The ICA released an open letter Wednesday arguing that reopening the southern border to live cattle imports while allowing more than 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef to enter tariff-free could undermine U.S. cattle producers and efforts to rebuild the domestic herd.
The administration’s move also comes weeks after a separate recall involving imported Argentine beef.
Corte Argentino USA LLC, a Florida based importer, recalled nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef products distributed to retailers in Texas and Florida. The products had entered the United States without required federal import reinspection, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
ALSO READ:
South Texas school district cancels classes after COVID outbreak
The Trump administration’s agreement was announced amid supply concerns after Corte Argentino USA LLC, a Florida-based company that imports “premium Argentine Angus beef,” initiated a sweeping recall over nearly 30,000 pounds of raw product sold to retail customers in Texas and Florida. (Diego Giudice/Bloomberg News)
Beginning September 1, the administration will allow up to 100,000 metric tons of additional lean beef trimmings per month to enter the United States under the lower, in-quota tarriff rate for three months. The White House said the plan encourages suppliers to sell the beef at a 25% discount from the going import price.
In its letter, the ICA said it was “extremely discouraged” by the plan, arguing that the additional imports could undermine efforts to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd.
The group pointed to a July 24 USDA report showing signs of increased heifer retention, which the ICA described as a potential turning point after years of declining U.S. cattle numbers.
The association credited federal policies, including tariffs on foreign beef and restrictions on live cattle imports from Mexico aimed at preventing the northward spread of New World screwworm, with helping strengthen cattle prices and giving ranchers an opportunity to rebuild their herds.
Now, the ICA argues that allowing Mexican cattle imports to resume while increasing lower-tariff foreign beef imports could threaten that progress.
ALSO READ: Abbott leaves nearly a million Texans without a vote in Congress
Cows are readied to be displayed at a cattle auction in Hermosillo, Mexico, on July 29, 2025. The U.S. reopened a border port Monday as it tests the ability of the USDA to contain the threat of a New World screwworm outbreak that began in June in Texas. (Fernando Llano/Associated Press file photo)
“American beef retailers’ increasing dependence on foreign beef produced with cheaper labor, cheaper feed, and standards below those American cattle producers must meet is likewise unsustainable and dangerous,” the ICA wrote. “It does not serve the American cattle producer or the American consumer.”
The Trump administration’s fact sheet mentions Mexico only in connection with restrictions on live cattle imports aimed at preventing the spread of New World screwworm. It does not specify whether Mexico would supply any of the additional beef allowed under the expanded tariff-rate quota.
The ICA also criticized consolidation among major beef-packing companies, arguing that it gives large processors too much leverage over U.S. cattle producers. The group said the industry’s reliance on foreign labor and imported beef creates an “unsustainable and dangerous market dynamic” for ranchers, workers and consumers.
The association urged the administration to reverse course.
“The American beef consumer prefers quality American beef and a stable food-security system in the United States more than the chance of saving a few cents per pound in the short term, savings they will likely never see,” the ICA wrote.
ALSO READ: Attorney denies allegations of indecent assault of client
Subscribe
There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.
This article originally published at Texas ranchers slam Trump plan to import 300,000 metric tons of beef into the U.S..
