Ground beef prices have reached a staggering $6.92 per pound, which is nearly 60% higher than what Americans were paying just five years ago. For many families, beef isn’t just a luxury; it’s a staple. Think about it: hamburgers for backyard barbecues, tacos for family night, or a comforting meatloaf simmering away. It’s everywhere.
So, why is it that we still produce cattle in this country, yet somehow it feels increasingly difficult? American families are bearing the cost of a system that seems to favor imported beef over locally raised cattle.
The current administration is moving to address this issue with some urgency. As of September 1, 300,000 metric tons of imported lean beef trimmings are being allowed in under a temporary order, which is expected to increase the beef supply while ranchers work to rebuild their herds. However, this hasn’t sat well with many in ranching communities. The worry is that flooding the market with cheaper foreign beef could drive prices down, right when American ranchers need them to be higher to support their operations.
But what’s really perplexing is not just how much beef we import. It’s why it’s cheaper to raise and process beef overseas, ship it thousands of miles, and then sell it here when American ranchers are struggling. Sure, wages may be higher in the U.S., and many people willingly pay for high-quality American beef. Yet this doesn’t provide a complete picture.
Here’s a striking thought: foreign beef can make its way across the ocean and end up on store shelves in New York City more easily than a rancher’s beef from Nebraska can reach a market just across the state line. If a rancher processes cattle under state inspection—aligning with federal standards—they still face hurdles when trying to sell that meat just miles away. It’s as if the bureaucratic maze has made importing simpler than selling locally.
And that’s just part of the story.
Consider the landscape of beef processing. Currently, four companies dominate about 85% of the American beef processing market—two of which are Brazilian-owned. This concentration is a significant increase from 36% back in 1980. Is this truly a depiction of a free market? It doesn’t feel like it. The staggering regulations and costs associated with maintaining a federally compliant plant keep new, smaller processors from entering the game, sustaining a monopoly that leaves cattle producers with just a couple of buyers. When a rancher lacks options for selling their cattle, they have to accept whatever price is offered.
The complications don’t stop there. When ranchers want to sell directly to locals eager to buy locally raised beef, they often hit roadblocks. Neighbors wanting a quarter of beef can’t always just purchase it from nearby ranchers. Instead, the cattle must pass through an inspected facility, and if that facility is far away or fully booked, the sale simply won’t happen. This situation has little to do with demand and everything to do with the logistics and legalities impeding those direct sales.
Right now, the American cattle herd is at its lowest in 75 years, while U.S. beef production is declining, allowing Brazil to take the lead as the largest beef producer in the world. Between 2017 and 2022, we lost nearly 107,000 farms that had beef cows.
For American ranchers to compete effectively, systemic barriers that afford advantages to imports need to be dismantled. And President Trump is stepping in with initiatives aimed at correcting these issues.
On September 4, two executive orders were signed with the goal of bolstering American ranching and enhancing competitiveness in the beef sector. These orders instruct federal agencies to eliminate regulatory obstacles, facilitate the movement of state-inspected meat across state lines, support smaller processors, and enhance inspection processes—essentially empowering ranchers to have more avenues for processing and selling their own products.
Recently, the USDA also indicated plans to aid states in establishing or expanding their inspection programs for meat, which could potentially allow more local processors to enter the market, offering ranchers fresh options for sales.
This approach directly addresses the core issues by increasing processing capacity, providing more selling options, and cutting through the bureaucratic red tape that stands between American ranchers and their consumers.
This situation isn’t exclusive to beef. The reality is that federal timber harvests have plummeted about 75% from their averages between 1960 and 1990, even with national forests full of timber. Furthermore, starting a new mine in the U.S. can take seven to ten years to get approved, while it’s about two to three years in Canada. The mounting bureaucratic requirements have driven industries to the point where it’s often cheaper to import finished products than to manufacture them here.
As we try to rebuild our cattle herds and regain our status as a leading beef producer, we can’t do it under a system dominated by regulations rather than rancher-led initiatives. Years of regulations have put historical American industries at a systemic disadvantage. Ranchers aren’t asking for handouts—they’re asking for the freedom to do what they do best: feed the country. That’s the goal Trump is striving to achieve.
