American farmers are slamming President Donald Trump after he floated the idea of importing more beef from Argentina to help lower U.S. beef prices, which recently hit record highs. The suggestion didn’t sit well with cattle producers already battling tight supplies and soaring costs, and many say it could deal a serious blow to the U.S. livestock industry.
Trump made the comment Sunday while flying aboard Air Force One, telling reporters he was considering bringing in Argentine beef to help an ally and ease prices at home. “If we buy some beef — I’m not talking about that much — from Argentina, it would help Argentina, which we consider a very good country, a very good ally,” he said, Reuters.
But U.S. ranchers say the move could devastate their businesses and won’t make a dent in grocery store prices. “This plan only creates chaos at a critical time of the year for American cattle producers, while doing nothing to lower grocery store prices,” said Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Tensions were already high among farmers after the Trump administration offered a $20 billion currency swap lifeline to Argentina, a move that frustrated many who had just lost key soybean sales to China — deals that instead went to Argentina during the ongoing U.S.-China trade conflict.
“The last thing we need is to reward them by importing more of their beef,” said Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union.
At the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a spokesperson said the agency is working to balance lowering beef prices with supporting ranchers through disaster aid and other efforts. “These actions, coupled with President Trump’s work to secure lasting markets for beef producers abroad, send a strong message to American cattle producers — raise more beef and rebuild the herd,” the spokesperson said.
Despite those assurances, the White House hasn’t provided any details on how the imports would actually reduce costs for consumers. Meanwhile, markets reacted fast — U.S. feeder cattle futures dropped sharply Friday after Trump first mentioned the plan, falling to their lowest level in over a week before stabilizing on Monday.
In Montana, 78-year-old rancher Jan McDonald said the idea made her nervous as she prepared to take her calves to auction this weekend. “I don’t know where he’s coming from,” McDonald said. “It makes me very nervous about the future.”
Economists also doubt that buying more beef from Argentina — which made up only about 2% of total U.S. beef imports last year — would have any real impact on prices. “The U.S. cannot buy enough beef from Argentina to materially move the needle in the market,” noted the Steiner Consulting Group.
Experts warn that bringing in more foreign beef could discourage American producers from rebuilding their herds, slowing recovery in domestic production. “Flooding markets with foreign-grown beef could affect our nation’s ability to be food independent in the long term,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
U.S. cattle numbers have already fallen to their lowest in nearly 75 years after years of drought wiped out grazing lands and raised feed costs. With imports from Mexico and Brazil also limited by pests and tariffs, many ranchers say the last thing they need now is competition from another country’s beef on American shelves.