Overview
- The White House, which told reporters Monday that President Trump would sign two orders to expand beef imports, put the plan on hold Tuesday after ranchers and Republican allies objected.
- The reported package would suspend beef tariff‑rate quotas to let more meat enter at lower duty rates and would expand Small Business Administration loans while easing wolf protections and electronic ear tag rules for producers.
- Government data show ground beef topped $7 per pound in April and steak passed $13, even as the cattle herd fell to its smallest since 1951 and first‑quarter imports ran at a record pace.
- Producer groups and economists warn that more imports may only trim prices for a short time and could slow herd rebuilding, with Farm Bureau and R‑CALF saying the move would pressure smaller feeders.
- Officials are revising the orders to limit harm to producers as DOJ antitrust scrutiny of major meatpackers continues and Tyson says tight cattle supplies are likely to persist into 2027.