President Donald Trump’s effort to curb soaring beef prices by bringing in more Argentine meat is hitting a wall of resistance from U.S. ranchers — and skepticism from industry experts.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America, and other farm groups — long among Trump’s loyal backers — say the move could hurt local producers enjoying a rare run of profit.
Economists, meanwhile, question the logic. Argentina supplies just 2% of U.S. beef imports, and even if that share doubled, they say, the impact on grocery prices would be minimal.
South Dakota rancher Brett Kenzy believes market forces, not policy, should set beef prices. He says despite record costs, consumers aren’t abandoning beef for cheaper proteins.
The latest data — before the government shutdown — showed ground beef averaging $6.32 per pound, a record high.
“I love ‘Make America Great Again’ rhetoric. I love ‘America First’ rhetoric,” Kenzy said. “But to me this feels a lot like the failed policies of the past — the free trade sourcing cheap global goods.”
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I didn’t realize short ribs are more expensive because of where they’re cut from. Now I understand why they have such a rich flavor.