RICK PERRY: Where's the beef? Trump knows and he's trying to make it affordable

"America First" has been much than a slogan for President Trump. It has go a governing model and near-mandate for his administration. America First argumentation decisions person manifested crossed migration strategy, vigor regulation, and, possibly astir clearly, commercialized policy.

The beef marketplace has been successful hopeless request of an America First recalibration aft President Joe Biden’s failed policies. Ground beef prices person go astronomical, reaching an mean of $6.69 per pound in December, the highest terms since tracking began successful the 1980s.

These terms increases are outpacing those of different nutrient categories owed to structural problems wrong the home beef market. Analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation shows the home herd has fallen to a 75-year debased and is continuing to shrink arsenic less calves are retained for breeding. As a result, the U.S. cattle herd is improbable to grow until astatine slightest 2028.

From my clip arsenic politician of Texas and agriculture commissioner for the nation’s starring cattle-producing state, I recognize some the gravity of this concern and the request for a deliberate argumentation response.

Cattle are shown successful pens astatine the Cattlemen's Columbus Livestock Auction successful Columbus connected Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle/Getty Images)

In October, President Donald Trump addressed the request for beef affordability measures and signaled plans to summation imports, which helium precocious finalized done an executive order, opening the U.S. to an further 80,000 metric tons of thin beef trimmings from Argentina this year.

This measurement is invaluable due to the fact that the U.S. does not nutrient capable beef to conscionable home demand, necessitating imports. Argentina is simply a strategical and well-suited spouse to remedy our beef shortage due to the fact that they specialize successful lower-cost, thin beef. These trimmings from Argentina volition beryllium blended with fattier home beef to nutrient hamburgers and crushed beef products – affordable staples successful precocious demand.

Importing the circumstantial benignant of affordable beef straight addresses proviso and aligns with an America First approach. Expanding thin beef imports volition trim pressures connected our beef supply, frankincense reducing costs for consumers portion protecting cattle ranchers’ premium production.

THE SURPRISING REASON WHY AMERICANS COULD FACE HIGH BEEF PRICES FOR YEARS

The impacts of these astute imports are complemented and multiplied by broader efforts to fortify the cattle sector, including Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ October program to fortify the American beef manufacture and President Trump’s directive for the Department of Justice to ace down on foreign-owned nutrient packing cartels.

Beyond these efforts, the medication should reassess the existing allocation of tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), which were configured successful 1995. Reworking would admit shifts successful planetary accumulation patterns and home marketplace needs, putting U.S. ranchers successful a amended position.

Today, the overwhelming stock of tariff-free beef imports are dedicated to Australia and New Zealand. Both countries absorption heavy connected premium, grass-fed exports – products that vie straight with higher-end U.S. beef successful home and planetary markets.

By contrast, thin beef imports from South America chiefly service the lower-cost blended segment. Ranchers and their supporters criticizing the import summation from Argentina, but failing to propulsion backmost astir the near-unlimited marketplace entree Australia and New Zealand person are warring the incorrect battles.

The beef marketplace has been successful hopeless request of an America First recalibration aft President Joe Biden’s failed policies. 

Some policymakers person raised concerns that imports would sideline American ranchers and that we should absorption connected cutting reddish tape, lowering accumulation costs and supporting cattle herd growth. These priorities are valid – but they’re not mutually exclusive with strategical imports.

RFK JR BACKS BEEF, DECLARING 'WAR ON PROTEIN IS OVER' AS HE THANKS AMERICA'S CATTLE RANCHERS

The conception that imports should beryllium avoided is misguided and ignores structural proviso realities. Strategic imports similar thin trimmings tin stabilize prices portion allowing U.S. producers to ore connected premium markets, wherever profitability is strongest. This is however we pave the way for rancher success.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

If U.S. ranchers are forced to simultaneously effort and predominate serving some low-margin crushed products and high-margin premium markets with higher-end cuts, they whitethorn go overwhelmed. From a semipermanent marketplace perspective, overextension tin discourage heifer retention and hold indispensable herd rebuilding.

President Trump and his squad are connected the close way with the Argentina deal. This enlargement should beryllium defended unapologetically, incorporated beyond conscionable 2026, and considered arsenic portion of a semipermanent strategy alternatively than a impermanent measure.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Permanently expanding Argentina’s tariff-free entree to the U.S. marketplace for thin beef trimmings is however we guarantee prices halt rising. The medication should besides see opportunities for expanded imports from different South American nations, specified arsenic Paraguay and Uruguay, wherever accumulation aligns with U.S. marketplace gaps.

Building an American First beef marketplace requires precision and semipermanent thinking. The existent argumentation shifts are moving successful the close direction, which volition enactment ranchers, fortify our marketplace and present affordability for American consumers.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM RICK PERRY

Related Article