Trump identifies beef import sources
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the extraordinary quota of 300,000 metric tons of imported beef to lower prices in the country comes from Argentina and Brazil. Until now, the US government had not identified which countries would supply the additional volume of beef, intended to be mixed with US beef to prepare hamburgers, within a 90-day window.[S1]
When asked by journalists at the White House during an event where he signed an executive order allowing ranch owners to also process meat, Trump responded that the beef is coming from Argentina and Brazil. This move is seen as a nod to the agricultural sector, which is discontent with the tariff-free import of foreign beef.[S2]
Details of the import measure
The extraordinary measure, included in a presidential proclamation Trump signed on August 26, allows the import, between September 1 and November 30, of 300,000 metric tons of fresh or frozen lean trimmings. According to the president himself, this will reduce ground beef prices by 25%.[S2]
The Department of Agriculture explained that this temporary import seeks to compensate for the closure of borders for live Mexican cattle, which remains partially in effect, due to the screwworm plague. This context highlights the urgency behind the measure.[S2]
