Beef From Argentina? ‘A Betrayal of the American Rancher,’ Farmers Tell Trump

On Sunday, President Trump made waves with a proposal for dealing with high U.S. beef prices. “We would buy some beef from Argentina,” he said from Air Force One during a flight from Florida to Washington, according to the Associated Press. “If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down.”

His comments came after a report Friday that the administration was working on lowering beef prices for U.S. consumers. That news alone greatly impacted the market, with feeder cattle closing more than $9 lower to end the week. 

The Commstock Report said, “Behind the scenes, sources close to the administration also say the Department of Justice and USDA are finalizing a joint initiative targeting antitrust enforcement and price transparency in the beef supply chain. Industry observers are watching for follow-up statements from USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and from major meatpackers like Tyson Foods, Cargill, and JBS USA, which could clarify whether the ‘deal’ Trump referenced last week involves voluntary pricing or transparency commitments.”

Several farm groups responded quickly to the proposal from the president, outlining how the move would affect U.S. producers. Here’s what they had to say.

National Farm Organizations

U.S. Cattlemen’s Association

U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) is a grass roots organization that works to “strengthen the bottom line of the U.S. cattle producer.”

USCA was among the first to respond to Trump’s remarks.

President Justin Tupper issued a second statement Monday and said, “USCA commented on Friday regarding potential steps by the Administration to address beef prices, and we will reiterate our position today: government intervention is not needed in an industry that is already correcting in response to years of market pressure.

“Today’s comments alone triggered an immediate reaction in the markets—cattle futures dropped significantly. It’s important to underscore: the current price of beef on grocery store shelves reflects the true, inflation-adjusted cost of raising cattle in America today.

“Already this year, the U.S. has imported more than 1.26 million metric tons of beef, primarily from Australia, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and New Zealand. Increasing imports under current rules ultimately benefits foreign suppliers and multinational packers, while putting U.S. ranchers on the losing end and depriving American consumers of honest transparency at the meat counter.

“USCA supports affordable food prices for American families. But we do oppose policies or loopholes that manipulate the market to address a solution that will be solved through natural market behavior. This approach weakens our industry’s foundation and undermines rural America.

“We have appreciated President Trump’s ‘America First’ priorities, which have consistently highlighted the importance of supporting U.S. producers and reinforcing national food security. This moment presents an excellent opportunity to show genuine American-first leadership by prioritizing strong domestic production, and fair, transparent markets for both ranchers and consumers.”

National Cattleman’s Beef Association

The National Cattleman’s Beef Association (NCBA) has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898 and is the largest association of cattle producers in the United States.

“NCBA’s family farmers and ranchers have numerous concerns with importing more Argentinian beef to lower prices for consumers. This plan only creates chaos at a critical time of the year for American cattle producers, while doing nothing to lower grocery store prices,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall in a statement released Monday.

“Additionally, Argentina has a deeply unbalanced trade relationship with the U.S. In the past five years, Argentina has sold more than $801 million of beef into the U.S. market. By comparison, the U.S. has sold just over $7 million worth of American beef to Argentina. Argentina also has a history of foot-and-mouth disease, which if brought to the U.S., could decimate our domestic livestock production.”

American Farm Bureau Federation

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is the nation’s largest farmer-run organization and serves farmers in all 50 states.

President Zippy Duvall issued a statement on Monday afternoon.

“We know America’s families face challenges when food prices rise, but it’s important for President Trump to remember that farmers are facing an economic storm as well, and a vibrant U.S. cattle herd is at stake. Many of America’s beef farmers have operated in the red for several years. Adverse weather and low prices drove cattle herds down to levels not seen in decades,” he explained. “Weakened cattle prices are the last thing needed in farm country, where farmers are being paid historically low prices for crops across the board while expenses remain high.”

 Duvall continued, “We urge the administration to carefully consider the damage importing more beef and cattle from other countries will have as cattle farmers decide whether to invest in rebuilding America’s herds. Just the mention of beef imports created more instability and uncertainty for America’s farmers. Flooding markets with foreign-grown beef could affect our nation’s ability to be food independent in the long-term. We look forward to learning more about the president’s plan, and we stand ready to work with him to ensure farmers and ranchers can survive this economic storm.” 

National Farmers Union 

National Farmers Union (NFU) advocates on behalf of more than 230,000 American farm families and their communities. 

On Monday, NFU said the following in a statement:

“Lowering beef prices for consumers starts with restoring fairness in the marketplace, not by importing beef from Argentina and undercutting American ranchers,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “Years of drought, depressed cattle prices, and unchecked corporate consolidation have already pushed many family farmers and ranchers to the brink, all while consumers pay more at the grocery store. 

“The White House recently bailed out Argentina with $40 billion in U.S. taxpayer-backed aid, and Argentina’s response was to strike new deals selling soybeans to China—deals that hurt American crop farmers. The last thing we need is to reward them by importing more of their beef.

“In times of extreme uncertainty in the farm economy, we should be doubling down on our efforts to support family farmers and ranchers here at home. The answer isn’t foreign beef; it’s rebuilding herds to meet domestic demand, restoring competition in meatpacking, enacting mandatory country-of-origin labeling so consumers know where their beef comes from, and creating a fair marketplace that works for both farmers and consumers. 

“History shows that when competition disappears, ranchers receive less for their cattle even as grocery store prices climb, eroding fairness across the entire supply chain. Now more than ever, we hope the administration brings family farmers and ranchers to the table to consider solutions that put all American families first.”

Farm Action

Farm Action is a nonpartisan agricultural watchdog organization led by farmers. The organization calls itself an “advocate for accountability from both our government and large corporations within the agricultural sector. We envision a fair, sustainable, and healthy food system that empowers farmers, workers, and rural communities to feed America.”

Farm Action responded to the news in a statement on Monday.  

“President Trump’s plan to buy beef from Argentina is a betrayal of the American rancher,” said Christian Lovell, Farm Action’s Senior Director of Programs and an Illinois cattle producer. “Those of us who raise cattle have finally started to see what profit looks like after facing years of high input costs and market manipulation by the meatpacking monopoly.”

He continued, “After crashing the soybean market and gifting Argentina our largest export buyer, he’s now poised to do the same to the cattle market. Importing Argentinian beef would send U.S. cattle prices plummeting — and with the meatpacking industry as consolidated as it is, consumers may not see lower beef prices either. Washington should be focused on fixing our broken cattle market, not rewarding foreign competitors.”

“With these actions, President Trump risks acting more like the president of Argentina than president of the United States.”

State Farm Organizations and Officials

Iowa Farm Bureau

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) represents farmers in all 99 counties of Iowa and is part of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

President Brent Johnson encouraged the administration to “resist actions that negatively impact the cattle farmers in Iowa and domestic beef production.”

In a press statement he said, “Iowa Farm Bureau detailed the significant downturn in our state’s ag economy in 2024 and the more than $1.5B economic impact from downsizing and layoffs. Amid widespread depressed ag markets, cattle producers are finally seeing positive returns, one of the few bright spots in Iowa’s ag economy, particularly as crop farmers are struggling.

A report from Farm Credit shows net cash farm income fell 38% for corn and 40% for soybeans in 2024 compared to a year earlier. The impact has been felt particularly hard in Iowa as farm income from corn and soybeans plummeted to the lowest level in the last 15 years as farmers struggle with surging costs to raise a crop, including land prices, fuel, labor, fertilizer and more.  These impacts also create barriers for young and beginning farmers breaking into agriculture and threaten smaller farm operations.”

Consequently, Iowa Farm Bureau is sharing information with the Iowa congressional delegation to discuss further.”

Texas Department of Agriculture

Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has been led by Commissioner Sid Miller since 2014. 

On Monday, Miller issued a press release offering alternative ideas he believed “would benefit both U.S. families and the American rancher.”

The TDA statement said, “Instead of offshoring our beef production by buying Argentinian beef, which would increase our already substantial $50 billion agricultural trade deficit, we should consider importing breeding stock to increase our own U.S. beef production capacity. Other opportunities to consider include opening federal lands to grazing and offering tax incentives to increase U.S. beef production. That would encourage more breeding stock and increased herds.”

South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association

The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association (SDCA) represents cattlemen and women of the South Dakota beef cattle community. For nearly 75 years, the SDCA has worked to advance policy created by its members for members and serve as a unified voice on key issues.

In Monday’s edition of The Cattle Guard e-newsletter, SDCA President Warren Symens said, “Americans understand that markets of all kinds are fundamentally driven by supply and demand. The cattle industry is no exception, and producers have adapted to both favorable and challenging conditions. It was disappointing to hear the President’s recent remarks regarding the current state of the cattle business and beef prices.”

Symens continued, “While beef prices may appear elevated, the demand for beef remains strong. It’s important to consider the value of beef in context. Beef’s nutritional value and its ability to feed a family, far surpass many similarly priced consumer items, for example, compare the cost of beef per pound to that of a specialty coffee or a family-sized bag of chips.

“Rather than attempting to influence the market by importing beef from Argentina, a country with an already imbalanced trade relationship with the United States, we urge the White House to instead strengthen trade relations with trusted partners by reducing excessive tariffs that hinder these relationships.”