The Beef with Tariffs

As of July, the Federal Reserve says ground beef now averages $6.89 a pound, up 57% over the past five years. Inflation data shows that beef prices have risen much faster than those of other foods. Ground beef prices rose 9% in July from a year ago, while beef steaks rose 9.6%. Higher beef prices are good for U.S. cattle producers, allowing them to fetch higher prices for each head of cattle sold on the market. Conversely, U.S. consumers suffer from higher beef prices, which drive up grocery prices nationwide. We are all feeling the impact of higher grocery prices.

In an attempt to make America “affordable again,” President Donald Trump temporarily waived higher tariffs on ground beef imports, a bid to lower prices for consumers who are facing historically high beef costs. On Truth Social, Trump announced that the U.S. will allow up to 300,000 metric tons (660 million pounds) of ground beef into the country for the next 90 days with “no out-of-quota tariff.” Trump’s move to ease tariffs is simply another quick fix for a problem he created. This quick fix has sparked a major revolt on both sides of the aisle, and lawmakers argue that what Trump is doing actually undercuts American ranchers. In fact, in a rare rebuke, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau released a statement that it is “disappointed with Trump's plans for additional beef imports.” So did Oklahoma Governor Stitt. 

So why are beef prices through the roof? Right now, Americans are experiencing high beef prices because the U.S. cattle herd is at a historic low. As American ranchers work to rebuild their herds, the administration is flooding the market with cheap, tariff-free foreign imports that undercut domestic producers' ability to compete and recover. Perhaps Trump truly believes he’s resolving a crisis, but this 90-day pause is doing the exact opposite of providing stability for both our ranchers and consumers. As Governor Kevin Stitt puts it, “If Washington wants lower prices for Americans, it should focus on free market solutions that remove barriers that drive up costs, not undercut the American ranchers who feed our country. When the government tries to put its thumb on the scale, it ultimately drives up costs for everyone. We will stand with Oklahomans who produce our food and protect our state’s position as a leader in the beef industry.”

At the same time the administration is actively easing tariffs on foreign beef imports, it is simultaneously ruining the relationship with one of our closest, most reliable agricultural trade partners, Canada, with escalating tariffs that drive up costs for everyone. It all began at the start of Trump’s second term; he accused Canada of looking the other way when illicit fentanyl was being trafficked across the border, so he decided to slap tariffs on them with Executive Order 14193. This was a violation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that Trump negotiated and signed into law. Then, the Trump Administration imposed the so-called “Liberation Day Tariffs” on April 2, 2025, followed by another round of tariffs in March 2026. The Supreme Court later ruled these tariffs unconstitutional and beyond the scope of the President’s authority. Just last week, Trump imposed new 50% tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian goods. Canada, to no one’s surprise, is retaliating dollar for dollar starting September 8, 2026. We appear to be on the verge of a trade war, and the United States is the bully. 

Trump continues to drive a wedge into what has been, for decades, a mutually beneficial economic partnership, and the concern is that it could spiral into a bigger trade war. On top of the senseless tariffs, we are also now antagonizing Canada with the so-called “Lake of America” stunt. It is almost as if Trump doesn’t know that Canada remains a top destination for processed pork products and a significant market for beef and poultry, and that a fractured relationship with Canada jeopardizes the integrated North American supply chain under the USMCA, which supports over $16 billion in annual cross-border livestock and meat trade and stabilizes our overall food supply. 

Let us be reminded that on Friday, February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled the administration’s sweeping tariffs unconstitutional, stating the president needs “clear congressional authorization” to levy them. Congress must reassert its constitutional role to prevent unilateral tariff shifts and prevent instability. When you elect me to represent Oklahoma’s Fourth District, I will fight to return to the balance demanded by the Constitution and bring the power to levy taxes, tariffs, duties, and imports back to the United States Congress. It is time we once again strictly adhere to the Constitution, build relationships with our trading partners, and honor our agreements.

A parting thought: the on-again and off-again nature of these trade disputes creates immense economic risk. All this does is force small business owners, farmers, and ranchers to pass higher costs to consumers. The whipsaw method of imposing these tariffs undercuts and destabilizes American markets, while the true purpose of tariffs is to build American markets and protect American industry. That is why we need Congress to decide when tariffs are needed and take this power away from the Unitary Executive. True stability and lower prices will not come from short-term tariff pauses or retaliatory trade wars with our closest allies. Congress must step in to champion stable, long-term policies that support domestic cattle producers and protect our most vital trade alliances. Let me be your champion.

Vote November 3.

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Average Price: Ground Beef, 100% Beef in U.S. City Average, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/APU0000703112.

 Amanda Macias, Trump Goes After the Companies Ranchers Blame for the Beef Price Squeeze, Fox Business, https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-goes-after-companies-ranchers-blame-beef-price-squeeze.

 Statement: [Oklahoma Farm Bureau] Disappointed with Trump Plans for Additional Beef Imports, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, https://www.okfarmbureau.org/news/statement-okfb-disappointed-with-trump-plans-for-additional-beef-imports/.

 Governor Stitt Establishes Oklahoma Beef Industry Advisory Council, Defending Cattle Producers and Strengthening Oklahoma Beef Market, https://oklahoma.gov/governor/newsroom/newsroom/2026/governor-stitt-establishes-oklahoma-beef-industry-advisory-council-defending-cattle-producers-and-strengthening-oklahoma-beef-market.html.

 Imposing Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border, The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/imposing-duties-to-address-the-flow-of-illicit-drugs-across-our-national-border/.

 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Office of the United States Trade Representative, https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/united-states-mexico-canada-agreement.

 Supreme Court Rules Against Tariffs Imposed Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Library of Congress, https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11398.

 Meat Institute Backs USMCA, Warns Against Renegotiation, Meat & Poultry, https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/33636-meat-institute-backs-usmca-warns-against-renegotiation.