Increasing Beef Imports Didn’t Help Consumers, Hurt U.S. Producer

Earlier this year, President Trump announced plans to allow for the additional import of 300,000 metric tons of beef primarily from Argentina, in an effort to lower prices at the grocery store. That has not worked to plan, with prices at the grocery store showing little if any movement since early September.

Cameron Mulrony, Executive Vice President of the Idaho Cattle Association called the move by the Administration "ill-advised", adding much of the beef that’s imported is mixed with fat and used to create the burgers in the fast-food industry.

“The amount and the timing, I think for the consumer, there will be very little impact it looks like, but it was direct and immediate to our local producers because our market has to rely on some stability," Mulrony said. "If you look at a guy deciding to save a replacement heifer right now, her first calf isn't really going to see the chain for nearly three years, which is supply and demand. And that's where we're at. There's not a supply of cattle really worldwide, but even here in the United States to fill that demand. The world wants American beef. Americans want American beef.”

Mulrony went on to say the headline created by this summer’s announcement may have been beneficial from a political standpoint.

"But actual impact to beef price in the store, I think is negligible," he said. "And real impact to our producers was swift because of the fear of volatility in the industry and some of those risk management tools that we have are being utilized and it causes a turn in our market immediately.”