Ranchers furious: Trump's beef import plan sparks backlash

America's largest cattle ranchers' group says President Donald Trump's plan to lower beef prices is "undermining" American farmers. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, which represents over 175,000 cattle producers, criticized the move as political theater ahead of the midterm elections. On Friday, Trump announced the US will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of beef imports without out-of-quota tariffs for the next 90 days. The goal is to reduce grocery prices for Americans. But the association responded sharply on X, saying the decision is "100% about the 74 days between now and the midterm elections" — not about helping producers. The group warned that increased imports hurt ranchers who are deciding whether to rebuild their herds for next year. They also cited "repeated whiplash on trade policy" as a direct problem for rural cattle producers. "US farmers and ranchers need stability," the association said. "Unlike spur-of-the-moment trading decisions made based on White House social media posts, the decisions and investments ranchers make in their herds are made YEARS in advance, not days or weeks." CEO Colin Woodall said the association was "disappointed" and called the plan a sacrifice of "long-term stability for short-term messaging." The beef industry has struggled with high raising costs, a shrinking cattle inventory, and drought-related land limits. That has pushed beef prices up for everyday shoppers. For Trump, high food costs are politically risky. He campaigned on reducing inflation and lowering costs, but many Americans still say they are struggling with rising gas prices, a stagnant housing market, and expensive groceries. A recent Cint report found over half of respondents ranked the cost of living as their top issue for the November midterm vote. Other agriculture groups also criticized the plan. Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek said letting foreign beef "walk in our country's front door" threatens one of the few bright spots in agriculture: current cattle prices. Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy, who cofounded a ranch and beef company, said he advised Trump against the plan. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a rancher himself, said flooding the market with imports hurts those who "work every day to produce the best beef in the world." Good Ranchers, a meat distributor, said the answer to high prices is not "more cheap imported beef with lower standards competing against them on shelves with no country of origin label."