At a White House event for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program May 19, President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. should consider halting cattle imports into the U.S.
“I read yesterday where we take some cattle in from other countries,” Trump said. “We have trade deals. I think you should look at terminating those deals. We have a lot of cattle in this country.”
Derrell Peel, livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University, said in a Reuters report that banning Canadian and Mexican beef could increase competition for U.S. beef exports.
“Obviously, if we just ban Mexican and Canadian cattle, they’re not going to take that kindly,” Peel told the news outlet.
In response to Trump’s statement, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall said, “Beef trade is a complex business, and America’s cattle producers rely on safe and reliable international trading partners, both as a destination for the undervalued cuts we produce here, such as hearts, tongues, and livers, and for importation of lean trim for ground beef production to meet strong consumer demand.”
However, Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund USA (R-CALF) applauded Trump’s statement and sent a letter to Trump commending his suggestion, concluding it with “Ending live cattle imports will help reverse the ongoing contraction of America’s ranching industry.”
