Nebraska ranchers fume after Trump lets in 661 million pounds of foreign beef to bring down prices — and midterms are looming

The Trump administration has responded by drastically cutting tariffs on imported beef, allowing 300,000 metric tons — or 661 million pounds — into the U.S. It promises the beef will be sold at 25% below market prices.

That might seem reassuring next time you’re at the grocery store, but for food inspection experts and American ranchers, this has been a worrying development.

And for voters in Nebraska, where the cattle industry was worth $11.43 billion in 2025, it could help sway a competitive House race to the left.

Why beef has gotten so expensive

For ranchers across the U.S., it has been a dry, difficult year.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 57% of American cattle are in locations with moderate or greater drought, a 27% year-over-year growth.

The total amount of cattle in the U.S. has been declining for decades, with 86 million heads of cattle at the start of 2026. That leaves ranchers with a difficult decision: Do they focus on increasing the size of their herd, or do they improve short-term profits by selling cattle?

America’s constrained beef supply is complicated by the fact that the government is heavily pushing beef as a health food.

That’s largely due to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. On Jan. 11, 2026, the White House posted a photo of Kennedy on X with the caption “We are ending the war on protein.”

Kennedy has extensively promoted beef, as well as beef tallow as a cooking fat. Doctors have raised concerns, saying that Kennedy is wrong about seed oils being dangerous and beef fat benign.

Americans are worried about food safety

The Trump administration hopes it can lower the price of beef by importing more beef from countries like Brazil and Argentina.

However, many people are worried about the risk of contaminated food, and ranchers have been encouraging people to seek out U.S.-grown beef instead.

The EU banned imports of Brazilian beef on Sept. 3, 2026, saying that it did not meet requirements on the use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials.

According to a survey by GS1, 94% of U.S. adults are worried about the frequency of food recalls. 67% have avoided buying certain types of foods entirely due to recalls, and 59% are more willing to buy a product with more detailed product information.

The ranching industry has responded by embracing a new “Product of USA” label that now appears on some U.S. food.

“This is a positive step in advancing our goal of empowering consumers to support America’s beef supply chain through their purchasing decisions,” Bill Bullard, CEO of ranchers’ association R-CALF, said.

The cost of beef could help Democrats flip a House seat in Nebraska

In Nebraska’s second congressional district, beef and fuel prices are crucial both for Republican Brinker Harding and Democrat Denise Powell. Polls in the district have so far swung in Powell’s direction.