US cattle ranchers are calling out Donald Trump’s art of the deal to cut tariffs on imported beef trimmings as a betrayal to the American cattlemen who overwhelmingly voted for him.
Trump’s selfish move to get voters’ grocery costs down before the midterm elections is being seen by ranchers as a deal that will tank the cattle market, and will not be helpful for the rebuilding of the industry.
Trump doubled down on his decision and was withholding which countries the deals were with for the mystery meat.
The reduction of tariffs would last for 90 days (just after the elections), and would provide “300,000 metric tons of product” to be made into ground beef.
Many ranchers and GOP voices expressed their dismay.
- Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said there was disappointment in the announcement, that “flooding the market with government-subsidized, below-market beef is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd,” Woodall said. “Cattle markets have already turned sharply lower this morning, to the detriment of farmers and ranchers.”
- Darin Newsom, a Nebraska-based agricultural analyst, said the president had “upped his war on the US beef industry” and called it “clearly a political play, with the 90 days running up to the US midterm election in early November.”
- Nebraska senator Deb Fischer said, “We all want lower grocery prices, but as I’ve said for months, we cannot do it at the expense of American producers.”
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