United States increases beef import quota
Proclamation allows additional lean beef trimmings from Argentina to be imported tariff-free
President Trump on February 6, 2026, signed a proclamation to temporarily increase the U.S. tariff-rate quota for lean beef trimmings.
According to a White House release, the proclamation allows an additional 80,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings per year from Argentina to be imported tariff-free, divided into four quarterly tranches of 20,000 metric tons each.
This proclamation is a result of the U.S. cattle herd falling to a record low of 86.2 million head as of January 2026, with beef cow inventory down by 8.6% since 2020. Factors such as drought, wildfires, and restrictions on cattle imports from Mexico have contributed to reduced domestic beef production and increased ground beef prices, which reached an average of $6.69 per pound in December 2025.