Trump Announces Deal to ‘Substantially Lower the Price of Ground Beef’
President Donald Trump announced a deal aimed at lowering the price of ground beef in the United States by easing beef tariffs to facilitate increased imports from abroad. This initiative comes as beef prices remain near record highs, with Trump stating it will substantially reduce costs for American consumers and support the rebuilding of the domestic beef herd. The agreement includes allowing an additional 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported without facing out-of-quota tariffs and promises to sell imported beef at 25% below current market prices. Despite these benefits, some U.S. cattle producers and representatives from cattle-producing states criticized the move,arguing it could harm domestic ranchers who have long struggled against large meatpacker monopolies. The recent spike in beef prices, which have increased by nearly 57% over five years, has prompted government action aimed at improving affordability while also attempting to rebuild the nation’s cattle supply.
President Donald Trump on Friday announced a deal aimed at lowering the price of ground beef for American shoppers by easing beef tariffs to import more from abroad.
Trump made the announcement on the social media platform as beef prices remain near record highs.
“Today, I concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families,” Trump wrote.
“As everyone knows, under President Biden, beef prices soared at their fastest rate and the American beef herd fell to its smallest size in modern history.”
🔴President Trump just announced a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for American families. . The move aims to give relief at the grocery store while the American beef herd rebuilds. Another concrete step to bring costs down for working families. pic.twitter.com/9pYC5VJYp2
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From (@TrumpDailyPosts) August 21, 2026
Trump wrote that an additional 300,000 metric tons of ground beef will be allowed to be imported into the country without facing an “out-of-quota tariff.” An “out-of-quota” tariff is an added charge the federal government places on some goods when their imports exceed allowed levels.
For beef, quota limits vary with individual countries, according to CNBC.
Trump did not identify the countries or exporters he was dealing with. However, he wrote there is also a commitment that the imported beef will be sold “25 percent below current market prices.”
“This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again,” Trump wrote.
However, U.S. cattle producers and elected officials representing cattle-producing states were not happy with Trump’s move, according to CNBC.
Sen. Tim Sheehy, a Montana Republican, took to the social media platform X to criticize the action.
I’ve advised President Trump against this course of action for a year because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades, and this will further harm them – most of whom are MAGA Republicans.
The President’s heart is in the right place on… https://t.co/CitifFJr8R
— Tim Sheehy (@TimSheehyMT) August 21, 2026
“I’ve advised President Trump against this course of action for a year because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades, and this will further harm them – most of whom are MAGA Republicans,” he wrote.
The move is intended to lower costs for consumers facing historically high beef prices.
On Aug. 12, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis noted that ground beef averaged .89 per pound in July, a 57 percent increase from five years earlier.
A federal price chart shows ground beef averaged .96 per pound 10 years ago. The price surged to $4.74 per pound during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-2020.
By the end of that summer, the average had fallen to $3.95 per pound.
Prices then rose steadily, climbing fast under the administration of former President Joe Biden and reaching $6.89 per pound average this month.
The same Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis data show beef prices took from 1984 to 2011 to double.
CBS News reported ground beef prices rose 9 percent in July from a year earlier.
The Agriculture Department said Trump’s action to ease tariffs will “help address the affordability of beef.”
The department also said Trump is cutting regulations for farmers and ranchers while rebuilding the nation’s cattle supply.
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