President Trump signed executive orders aimed at lowering record-high beef prices, directing the federal government to reduce trade barriers on beef imports and take steps to help rebuild the domestic cattle herd. Officials told the New York Post the administration’s goal is to expand the supply of beef available to American consumers after the cost of a steak reached an all-time high.
“We’re going to bring those prices down,” Trump told reporters. “Beef prices have gone through the roof. We’re going to fix that.”
The orders instruct federal agencies to clear the way for increased beef imports from foreign suppliers while simultaneously creating incentives for U.S. cattle producers to grow their herds. Administration officials said both actions are necessary to address a supply shortage that has pushed grocery store beef prices to historic levels.
The move comes after Trump signed a separate proclamation in February expanding imports of Argentine beef. Monday’s orders broaden that approach and add a domestic production component.
U.S. cattle herds have been shrinking for years, a product of prolonged drought across major ranching states, high feed costs, and producers selling off stock rather than rebuilding. The national herd is near its smallest size in decades. Industry analysts have pointed to that supply constraint as the primary driver of elevated prices.
American consumers have felt the squeeze at supermarkets and restaurants. Ground beef, steaks, and roasts have all climbed sharply over the past two years. A ribeye steak that averaged $10 a pound in 2022 now runs north of $18 in many markets, according to retail data.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins indicated the administration intends to work with ranchers on the domestic side. “Our goal is a strong American beef industry and lower prices for families at the grocery store. These are not competing goals,” Rollins said Monday.
The orders were expected to face scrutiny from domestic cattle producers, some of whom have lobbied against increased imports, arguing that foreign competition would undercut their prices and harm long-term herd rebuilding efforts. The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association had not issued a formal response by Monday afternoon.
U.S. beef producers have separately been pushing the administration to open China’s market to American beef, an issue that was reportedly on the agenda at recent Trump-Xi trade talks. China restricted U.S. beef imports for years before partially reopening its market in 2017.
