President Donald Trump signed a proclamation February 6 temporarily expanding tariff-free imports of lean beef trimmings as U.S. ground beef prices remain near historic highs amid tightening domestic supply.
The measure increases the U.S. tariff-rate quota for lean beef trimmings by 80,000 metric tons annually, allowing additional imports from Argentina in four quarterly tranches of 20,000 metric tons each. The White House said the action is intended to stabilize supply and ease price pressure on ground beef while domestic production remains constrained.
The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, will continue monitoring domestic supply conditions and advise on whether additional actions are needed.
Ground beef prices averaged $6.69 per pound in December 2025, according to federal data cited by the White House, marking the highest level since recordkeeping began in the 1980s. The move comes as the U.S. cattle herd has fallen to roughly 86 million head, the smallest level in decades.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, beef prices have surged amid prolonged drought, rising feed costs, and herd liquidation, with economists warning that herd rebuilding could take years. In July, DX reported that the national cattle herd had declined more than 8% from its 2019 peak, pushing retail beef prices to record levels.
Supply pressures have also been compounded by livestock health concerns along the southern border, where Texas officials issued a disaster declaration as the New World screwworm neared the state, prompting heightened surveillance and restrictions tied to cattle movement, as previously detailed by DX.
The import expansion follows a series of actions by the Trump administration aimed at addressing food inflation and market concentration in the meat industry. In November, Trump ordered the Department of Justice to investigate potential price-fixing and anti-competitive practices among major meatpacking companies, citing concerns that retail beef prices continued to rise even as live-cattle prices softened.
That investigation, confirmed in November by Attorney General Pam Bondi, is focused on possible antitrust violations involving dominant processors that control a large share of U.S. beef processing capacity.
The White House said the temporary import increase is designed to complement those enforcement efforts while broader supply challenges persist. Administration officials emphasized that the measure does not replace longer-term strategies aimed at supporting domestic ranchers and expanding U.S. beef production.
Federal officials have cited drought recovery timelines, borrowing costs, and herd rebuilding cycles as factors likely to keep beef supplies tight through at least 2027.