Lawmakers have introduced legislation to halt President Donald Trump’s latest beef import plan.
Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02) Sept. 4 introduced the Banning External Entry of Foreign Beef (Beef) Act, and Rep. Shomari Figures (D-AL-02) Sept. 2 introduced the Protecting American Beef Producers Act. Both pieces of legislation are intended to suspend the Trump administration’s plan to expand foreign beef imports by 300,000 metric tons.
The Beef Act would suspend the additional imports, require congressional approval for future presidential beef import expansions and establish a four-year Beef Import and Domestic Supply Advisory Board to strategize on how to rebuild the cow herd. The bill would also “advance policies to expand domestic processing capacity, improve livestock market competition, and lower beef costs for American families over the long term.”
The Protecting American Beef Producers Act would nullify the recent beef import expansion, require any beef imported into the U.S. to be subject to the full amount of tariffs and fees, and require congressional approval before any official may reduce any tariff or fee on beef imports.
