Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Further Ensures Affordable Beef for the American Consumer
The White House
August 26, 2026
ADDRESSING BEEF AFFORDABILITY WITH TARGETED ACTION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to temporarily increase the quantity of lean beef trimmings that are imported with no above-quota tariff to ensure affordable beef for American consumers in light of current supply challenges. This action includes key safeguards to maximize cost savings while protecting American ranchers from foreign imports and giving space for American ranchers to grow the domestic herd.
The Proclamation temporarily expands the existing quantity of lean beef trimmings that are subject to an in-quota tariff rate, to produce ground beef, allowing trading partners eligible to ship beef to the United States to take advantage of lower, in-quota tariff rates.
This expanded quota has the following limitations: It only applies for 90 days, beginning on September 1, 2026.
It only allows 100,000 tons per month. (USDA projects U.S. beef production in 2026 to be over 11 million tons.)
It only applies to lean beef trimmings to combine with U.S. beef for ground beef.
It encourages beef to be sold at a 25% discount from the going import price.
The Proclamation does not modify any commitments related to beef for countries with a free trade agreement with the United States, and does not apply to countries with country-specific beef quotas.
FURTHER RESPONDING TO REDUCED U.S. BEEF AVAILABILITY AND HIGHER DOMESTIC DEMAND: President Trump is taking decisive action to respond to market disruptions and natural disasters in order to ensure adequate supply and affordable prices of beef products for American families.
The Biden administration put American agriculture last and delivered one of its most severe beef supply crises in decades, with domestic cattle herds at their lowest level in 75 years. Years of pursuing radical climate activists’ misguided policies and inciting inflation that left farmers with historically high input costs put enormous pressure on American agriculture and the ranchers who feed our country.
The Trump administration has been working around the clock to help rebuild the American beef industry – for the first time since 2018, the number of cattle in the U.S. is increasing and ranchers are retaining heifers at higher rates.
Since President Trump’s Proclamation in February addressing the elevated beef prices for U.S. consumers, including the elevated price of ground beef, many factors—including necessary restrictions on live animal imports from Mexico in order to mitigate the spread of the New World Screwworm, drought conditions across cattle-producing regions affecting grazing lands, and reduced feed and forage availability due to ongoing wildfire conditions—have put downward pressure on the size of the U.S. domestic herd.
For example, the necessary closure of southern ports in response to the New World Screwworm to protect the American herd resulted in a loss of hundreds of thousands of metric tons of beef being produced in the United States.
As a result of these and other factors, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecasts U.S. beef output will fall by around four percent from 2025 levels.
The United States is the world’s largest consumer of beef by volume and ranks second globally in per capita beef consumption, underscoring beef’s importance to the American diet.
As Americans eat more beef than ever, it is necessary and appropriate to ensure that the supply of beef products will be sufficient to meet U.S. demand at affordable and reasonable prices.
The President is taking temporary action to strengthen the Nation’s supply of affordable beef for American consumers while these supply challenges persist. This temporary action will increase beef supply by roughly 10% over current projections – an amount that will deliver economic relief to American consumers, will only compete with cull cow markets, and will not significantly impact the fed cattle market.
This action will not make up for the entire quantity of beef that would have been in the U.S. marketplace without the necessary closure of the U.S. – Mexican border to delay the incursion of New World Screwworm. President Trump continues to support and uplift America’s ranchers as they rebuild from years of neglect from the Biden administration.
DELIVERING LOWER COSTS FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES WHILE SUPPORTING OUR RANCHERS: Since returning to office, President Trump has moved swiftly to restore affordability, fight to reverse the Biden Administration’s inflation crisis, and strengthen America’s farmers, ranchers, and food supply.
Under four years of Biden, workers lost nearly $3,000 in purchasing power—meaning inflation rose faster than wages. Under President Trump, even after accounting for higher prices, real wages grew by $822 in 2025, putting more money in the pockets of hard-working Americans, with more savings on the way from further deregulation.
From day one, President Trump began halting proposed Biden-era regulations, which have saved Americans over $211 billion, or $2,461 per family of four.
In July 2025, President Trump signed the largest tax cuts in American history, providing families with thousands more in their pockets each year.
The Working Families Tax Cuts various tax provisions, such as the now-permanent small-business deduction and death tax exemption, and the first increase in reference prices in over 10 years, make the ranching industry more attractive for investment, boosting profitability for ranchers now and into the future.
Since taking office, the Trump administration began implementing a robust plan to protect the American herd from the threat of New World Screwworm. Certain southern ports remain closed to live animal imports from Mexico as the United States pursues a phased and monitored reopening to increase the beef supply with robust, overlapping safeguards.
In October 2025, the Trump Administration announced a suite of actions to strengthen the American beef industry, reinforcing and prioritizing the American rancher’s critical role in the national security of the United States.
In December 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to stop price fixing, anti-competitive behavior, and foreign influence that drives up grocery prices and threatens the security of America’s food supply.
In February 2026, President Trump issued a proclamation to temporarily increase imports and reduce beef prices for American consumers.
In June 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order to accelerate American agriculture innovation, empowering farmers and ranchers and bolstering the strength and security of our food supply.
Today’s action reflects The Trump administration’s continued focus on driving down costs for all Americans.
The Trump Administration has strengthened the farm safety net, expanded crop insurance, cut red tape, and reduced costs for farmers.
President Trump is committed to reducing risk for cattle producers, supporting new ranchers across the country, and ensuring ranchers are prosperous now and into the future.
