US President Donald Trump announced on August 21 a 90-day waiver of out-of-quota tariffs on up to 300,000 tonnes of imported ground beef to lower prices for American consumers [1, 2, 3]. He made the announcement via his social media platform Truth Social the day before [1, 2].
Trump said imported beef will be sold at 25% below current market prices, promising that "this deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again" [1]. As of July 2026, the US ground beef price stood at about $6.89 per pound, up 10% since last July and 24% since Trump took office [1, 2].
The tariff waiver aims to lower food costs while allowing time for the US cattle herd to rebuild, which Trump said is at its lowest level in decades. He blamed rising beef prices and shrinking herds on the previous Biden administration [1].
However, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, which represents over 175,000 cattle producers and feeders, criticized the move. Its CEO Colin Woodall said on X that "Today's announcement and other market interventions throw cold water on the prospect of herd expansion and sacrifices long-term stability for short-term messaging" [3]. The association called the plan "political theater" intended to influence voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections [3].
Trump’s administration has not disclosed which countries will supply the discounted beef or how imports will be allocated [1, 2]. Earlier in May 2026, Trump had planned a similar tariff waiver but shelved it due to internal opposition [2].
The 90-day tariff waiver began August 21, with midterm elections scheduled for November 2026, when rising food prices are expected to be a key voter concern [1, 2, 3].
