Trump Seeks Made in U.S.A. Labels on Beef as Import Rule Angers Ranchers
The Trump administration is hoping mandatory country-of-origin labeling will help alleviate its beef problem.Ranchers are upset over President Trump’s plan to import more than 660 million pounds of lean beef trimmings, which are mixed with fat trimmings to make ground beef, under reduced tariffs.Greater competition with foreign beef would lower the price they receive for their own cattle.The administration wants to give shoppers a choice while trying to assuage ranchers: Seek out all American beef and potentially pay a premium for it, or opt for the cheaper, imported alternative.“My goal and top priority in bringing this labeling back is No.
1, to protect the American rancher and No.2, to protect the American consumer,” Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, said in an interview.The new effort faces some resistance, as the cattle industry is split on whether mandatory labeling would be helpful.
Retailers, meatpackers, feedlot owners and ranchers with large herds argue it imposes too many costs, while independent ranchers and those with smaller herds say it can be done cheaply and will benefit their bottom line.This month, the president signed an executive order applying a number of new rules to the beef and cattle industries.The labeling section orders the agriculture secretary and U.S.
trade representative to review regulations and provide an economic analysis of mandatory country-of-origin labeling within 90 days.They can then either issue new regulations, if legally allowed, or make recommendations to Congress about laws they think should be passed on the issue.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
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