Through much of the second Trump administration, Republicans chose a policy of supporting domestic ranchers with high beef prices, implicitly asking consumers to change their eating habits: “Pick another protein.” They were aware, however, that if beef prices rose too much, they’d face a political crisis.
In late 2025, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that cattle ranchers “would be doing just as they’ve done for the past 20 years — Terrible!” if not for his 50 percent tariff on Brazilian cattle coming into the United States. He noted, though, that “it would be nice” if cattle ranchers also understood that “they also have to get their prices down, because the consumer is a very big factor in my thinking.”
While tariffs supported high beef prices, this ultimately proved politically untenable after beef prices continued to surge.
In August, Trump announced an expansion of the quota for imported lean beef trimmings eligible for reduced tariff rates. The goal was to increase imports of lean beef trimmings used to produce ground beef, bringing down beef prices before the midterm election.
Cattle prices subsequently fell roughly 15 percent from their May levels, exposing producers who had purchased cattle at elevated prices to substantial financial losses. Although other market forces also influence cattle prices, the administration’s decision to expand imports certainly contributed to the reduced value of ranchers’ herds.
Imagine you spent $50,000 to buy cattle in April. Now, their market value has fallen $7,500, or 15 percent. If you borrowed money to make the purchase, that decline would represent an even larger percentage of your own investment. When your cows reach market weight — or when you can no longer afford to feed and water them — you will be forced to sell. And if the prices don’t recover, you will lock in those losses.
At the same time, the policy shift came too late to benefit consumers; retail beef prices continued to surge heading into the midterms.
This is likely because consumers don’t immediately see the benefits of increased supply. The process requires importers to purchase and ship the beef, the imported beef to arrive and receive customs approval, the meatpackers to blend the imported and domestic beef, and the ground beef to move to wholesale distribution. After that, the supermarkets receive the shipment and adjust their prices. Just importing the beef takes two to eight weeks.
While cattle prices crashed, consumers paid even higher prices at the supermarket. The administration had failed struggling cattle ranchers without ensuring the ordinary American could afford to eat a steak.
Source: jacobin.com
