BEEF Act Aims to Stop Imported Meat Plan

Cattle ranchers have found bipartisan allies in Washington, D.C., who have joined their efforts to halt President Donald Trump's initiative to increase ground beef imports from Argentina and Brazil.

The BEEF (Banning External Entry of Foreign Beef) Act would halt the Trump administration's tariff suspensions on foreign beef imports. Congress would have oversight for future import decisions, according to the legislation.

President Trump used executive action, Congress was not involved in this, and temporarily paused the tariffs on foreign ground beef and lean beef trimmings coming into the United States.

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Trump's action would bring in up to 300,000 metric tons of the foreign beef into the United States to deal with record beef prices for consumers. Prices have risen as American cattle production has dropped for six straight years to around 86 million, the lowest level since the 1950s, and a steady fall from its peak of nearly 95 million head in 2019.

What Role Does Drought Play in Cattle Country?

Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska have dealt with drought that kept herd size down.

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) is the BEEF Act's co-sponsor. Nunn faces a tough re-election fight to keep his central Iowa seat this November against Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister who has been criticizing Nunn for supporting Trump's tariff and trade policies. Disapproval of those policies along with the war with Iran have helped make this swing district seat one of the most-watched in the country.

"Lowering beef prices for Iowa families and supporting our cattle producers should go hand-in-hand," Nunn said in a news release that announced his bipartisan legislation to protect cattle ranchers in his district and elsewhere in the United States.

He continued, "If we want more affordable beef for the long term, we need more American beef being raised and produced here at home. After years of a shrinking cattle herd, that means giving our producers the stability and confidence to invest, rebuild, and grow. Our bipartisan bill puts producers at the table to develop a long-term plan to increase our domestic beef supply, while giving Congress a say before future decisions are made to expand foreign imports."

What Did Lawmakers Tell President Trump About Cattle Imports?

Nunn previously sent President Trump a letter along with several dozen other members of Congress.

"As you consider policy changes which could impact American livestock producers, we urge you to prioritize proposals which deliver long-term market stability and confidence while consulting closely with impacted stakeholders," they wrote.

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) joined Nunn in sponsoring the BEEF Act. "If we want more affordable beef, the answer is to grow American production, strengthen competition, and make it easier for the next generation of ranchers to stay in business, not make our country more dependent on un-vetted foreign imports," Vasquez said in a statement.

His statement added, "Cattlegrowers in New Mexico and across the nation have made it clear, they want to reverse the President's foreign beef imports and they need more time, and more tools, to grow their herds and fix the domestic supply chain. My bipartisan BEEF Act does just that, and I hope that my colleagues from both sides of the aisle can join me in supporting American cattlegrowers and this commonsense proposal."

The lawmakers' announcement explained four requirements for the BEEF Act:

• Establish a four-year Advisory Board within USDA to develop a strategy to rebuild the American cattle herd, increase domestic beef production, cut red tape for ranchers, and keep beef affordable for consumers.

• Direct the Board to advise the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress on retaining breeding cattle, expanding domestic processing capacity, improving competition in livestock markets, and increasing the domestic beef supply.

• Require any executive action that would increase beef imports to be submitted to Congress and approved by law within 30 days before it can take effect.

• Suspend the proclamation allowing up to 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef imports into the U.S.

What Obstacles Could the BEEF Act Face?

The legislation faces two significant barriers: The U.S. House of Representatives already left D.C. for a nearly seven-week recess until after the mid-term elections. And even if the House unexpectedly came back to the capital sooner than that, it would still need to convince the U.S. Senate to go along with the legislation and then, potentially even more difficult, get President Trump to sign it.