OMAHA (DTN) -- President Donald Trump is temporarily suspending tariffs on beef imports from all major exporting countries as he searches for ways to lower retail prices for consumers.

Fed cattle prices for October delivery dipped $1.63 per cwt on Monday after details were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. September feeder cattle prices dropped more than $2 per cwt as well.

Trump was expected to sign an executive order Monday waiving annual tariff-rate quotas on beef imports -- the volume threshold at which higher tariffs kick in. As of late afternoon Monday, the White House had not released specifics about the order.

According to the WSJ, tariffs on beef products will be suspended for 200 days, essentially through the end of November. The order comes as beef imports are already soaring compared to last year. Australia, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and New Zealand are the countries most likely to see export volumes to the U.S. jump as a result.

Based on USDA data, beef imports are steadily rising and make up about 18% of all beef consumption domestically. Removing tariffs for most of the year will likely push that volume higher.

Trump has repeatedly pressed for ways to lower beef costs. He raised the issue on social media last fall and has continued to press his administration to find some solutions. As of March, the Federal Reserve priced the average pound of ground beef at $6.70 a pound, up about $1.15 a pound since Trump took office. Prices have steadily risen as the size of the U.S. cattle herd continues to decline.

REGULATORY MOVES

To counter the likely complaints from cattle producers about higher imports, Trump was also expected to sign a second executive order seeking to reduce some regulatory issues for cattle ranchers. The White House moved to reduce protections under the Endangered Species Act for gray and Mexican wolves. That comes after Congress voted in December to delist gray wolves from protected status.

Along with that, the White House's executive order would roll back mandatory electronic ear tags (EID) for beef cattle. Since late 2024, livestock producers have been required to use EID tags for sexually intact cattle and bison older than 18 months, as well as all dairy cattle and cattle or bison used for rodeos or exhibitions.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) also plans to increase loan access to ranchers, though SBA and the White House made a similar announcement to open up SBA loans to farmers and ranchers last month. By backing lenders with guarantees, producers can get higher loan amounts than offered by USDA loan guarantees, though SBA-backed loans can also come with higher interest rates than USDA loan guarantees.

The executive orders come just a week after Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins held a news conference with the Justice Department, announcing that DOJ continues to investigate potential antitrust violations in the meatpacking industry. Rollins has criticized foreign ownership of packers by Brazilian companies and has said more must be done to boost domestic production of beef.

The White House's executive order on beef tariffs also comes after the president, in February, waived tariff-rate quotas specifically on beef from Argentina.

BEEF IMPORTS ON THE RISE

USDA export-import data released last week showed beef imports at $4.5 billion through March, up 28% from a year ago. That comes after a record for beef imports at $13.75 billion in 2025, up nearly $2.5 billion from a year earlier.

In comparison, U.S. packers last year exported $9.3 billion in beef, down nearly 11% from 2024. So far, the dollar value of U.S. beef exports is down 13% for the first quarter of 2026.

TOP BEEF EXPORTERS TO U.S.

USDA import data shows that import volumes continue to rise, including in the first three months of this year.

USDA's Global Agricultural Trading System (GATS) data shows import totals based on dollar values:

-- Australia, $3.6 billion total in 2025; $1 billion in 2026, up 30% from a year ago.

-- Canada, $2.8 billion in 2025; $730 million in 2026, up 4%.

-- Mexico, $2.2 billion in 2025; $654 million in 2026, up 37%.

-- Brazil, $1.75 billion in 2025; $795 million in 2026, up 21%.

-- New Zealand, $1.28 billion in 2025; $465 million in 2026, up 18%.

-- Uruguay, $870.5 million in 2025; $303 million in 2026, up 31%.

-- Nicaragua, $412 million in 2025; $138.5 million in 2026, up 69%.

-- Paraguay, $278 million in 2025; $96 million in 2026, up 53%.

-- Argentina, $327 million in 2025; $170 million in 2026, up 112%.

FARM ACTION CRITICISM

The group Farm Action on Monday said the White House's move is a failed approach because previous increases in beef imports have not lowered the prices for American consumers. Farm Action said consolidation in the meatpacking industry remains the central problem. Farm Action also said Brazilian packer JBS is likely to benefit from the expanded imports because Brazil is now the world's largest beef exporter.

Given the volume of imports, Farm Action also called for reinstating mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) on beef and pork.

BLM GRAZING RULE

Also on Tuesday, the Interior Department will release a proposed rule for its Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grazing program. The rule would redefine grazing permits and restrict them to "production-oriented livestock." The rule comes after BLM last week rescinded grazing permits in Phillips County, Montana, held by American Prairie for the group's bison herd. BLM cited American Prairie's bison permit was used primarily for conservation and ecological restoration and not for production-oriented livestock.

Also see "Beef Imports From Brazil Surge as Officials Take Aim at Brazilian Packers" here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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