Trump signs executive order increasing imports of Argentine beef amid high prices
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President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order to temporarily increase the amount of beef the US can buy from Argentina, a move the White House says is aimed at reducing prices but conflicts with the country’s largest beef group.
This announcement increases the quota tax for beef cuts by 80,000 metric tons in the calendar year 2026. The additional imports will be fully allocated to Argentina and released in four quarterly installments starting on Feb. 13.
The White House said the action is intended to increase supply and make ground beef more affordable for American consumers in a fact sheet on the order.
According to the announcement, the Trump administration is acting in response to high beef prices and a prolonged decline in the US cattle herd.
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Supermarket meat packages in Houston (Ronald Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“As of January 2021, beef prices have continued to rise, reaching an average of $6.69 per pound in December 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics – the highest since the Labor Department began tracking beef prices in the 1980s,” the announcement said.
The announcement drew backlash from the country’s largest cattle industry group, which questioned whether increased imports would bring the price relief the administration had promised.
“While we fundamentally disagree with the premise that increased imports can reduce beef prices, the NCBA is encouraged to see the Trump administration take the necessary steps to address the challenges of accessing the US beef market in Argentina,” said Kent Bacus, executive director of international trade and market access at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
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Coral reefs in Canuelas, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Photos by Agustin Marcarian/Reuters/Reuters)
Bacus warned that Argentina’s history with foreign animal diseases raises concerns about expanding imports without strong safeguards.
“Given Argentina’s problems with imported animal diseases, NCBA remains concerned that expanding imports from Argentina without additional testing procedures and the latest research could put American consumers and our cattle herd at unnecessary risk,” Bacus said.
This directive only applies to lean beef, which is primarily used in the production of ground beef. Imported lean trimmings are often combined with fat domestic trimmings to produce beef products such as hamburgers.
Under this announcement, an additional 80,000 tons will be used on a first-come, first-served basis, in four equal phases of 20,000 metric tons. The first phase will open on Feb. 13 and close on March 31, followed by quarterly openings until the end of 2026.
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A butcher carries slabs of beef to a grocery store in Miami. (Photos by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The White House framed the action as temporary and consistent with current supply conditions rather than a permanent change in US trade policy.
The announcement reflects several factors affecting the supply of beef, including ongoing drought conditions in major cattle-producing states such as Texas and Kansas and wildfires that have devastated pastures and feedlots in the western US.
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The Trump administration said the decision to allocate all increases to Argentina is consistent with the existing US-Argentina trade framework agreement that was reached in November 2025. A White House official told FOX Business earlier this week that the executive order implements commitments already considered under that framework.
The White House sent FOX Business a fact sheet seeking further comment.
FOX Business’ Edward Lawrence contributed to this report.
