By Alejandra Arredondo
Austin, US, Oct 24 (EFE).- Leaders of the agricultural industry in Texas rejected United States President Donald Trump’s idea to increase meat imports from Argentina to reduce high prices for these products in the US.
According to US media reports, Trump, whose administration extended a 20 billion dollar currency swap to Argentina and has shown ideological affinity with President Javier Milei, plans to quadruple meat imports in order to push prices down.
In 2024, the US imported 33,000 metric tons of meat from Argentina, accounting for 2% of total imports, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.
The Trump administration is now considering purchasing 80,000 tonnes, according to Politico.
These plans have been rejected by both livestock leaders and some Republican lawmakers.
Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller warned that increasing imports would be detrimental to Texan ranchers.
“There doesn’t need to be a conflict between our beef producers and consumers. Increasing imports of beef cattle hurts our ranchers,” Miller wrote on his X account.
“If we want to lower prices (and we should), we need to import breeding stock to increase our domestic herds.”
Beef prices in US supermarkets are reaching record levels due to declining cattle numbers and strong consumer demand, according to a report by the Texas Farm Bureau, the organization that represents farmers and ranchers in the state.
The average price of ground beef rose to 6.12 dollars per pound in June, an increase of nearly 12% over the previous year.
Steak prices also skyrocketed, with an average price of 11.49 dollars per pound, an 8% increase over the previous year, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The number of cattle in the US is at its lowest level in decades due to droughts, increased maintenance costs, and the halting of cattle imports from Mexico due to outbreaks of parasitic beefworm, among others.
Nationally, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) also expressed concerns about Trump’s plan, warning that it would create “chaos at a critical time for the industry and do nothing to reduce prices at the supermarket.”
NCBA CEO Colin Woodall also argued in a statement that Argentina has a “deeply imbalanced” trade relationship with the US in the beef sector.
In Congress, a group of eight Republican lawmakers from cattle-producing states, including South Dakota, Colorado, Texas, and Minnesota, wrote a letter to the president conveying “serious concerns” on behalf of producers about his import plans.
“While we recognize the importance of maintaining strong trade relationships and diverse markets, our producers seek clarity on how this decision will be made, what safety and inspection standards will apply, and how this policy aligns with your administration’s commitment to strengthening US agriculture,” the congressmen said.
Trump received Milei at the White House last week, where they signed the aid plan for Argentina, including the currency swap program to try to stabilize the Argentine peso, which is conditional, according to Trump, on a victory for Milei’s party, Freedom Forward, in the crucial legislative elections on October 26. EFE
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