U.S. beef imports rose 24% in 2024, led by Brazil, Uruguay, and Australia. Brazilian imports increased by 60%, Uruguayan imports by 76%, and Australian imports by 67%. Despite tariffs and quota measures, these imports are replacing domestic production, R-CALF USA argued.
Under the current system, U.S. imports of Uruguayan and Brazilian beef have significantly exceeded their quotas. The United States imported 129,000 tons of beef from Uruguay—five times higher than the 20,000-ton quota. Meanwhile, Brazilian beef imports exceeded the third-country quota by more than 227,000 tons.
“The 26.4% tariff on imports exceeding the quota is ineffective in protecting our domestic beef industry,” stated Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA. He warned that importers are dominating the U.S. market, threatening local producers. The beef trade deficit has widened sharply, nearly doubling from 312,000 tons in 2023 to 680,000 tons in 2024. The USDA projects a deficit exceeding 800,000 tons for 2025, the highest since the mad cow crisis at the start of the century.
Between 2017 and 2022, the United States lost 107,000 cattle operations. If this trend continues, domestic beef production could struggle to compete, increasing reliance on imports, according to R-CALF USA.
Stricter measures—such as revising the tariff system and limiting imports—are essential to support the cattle industry. Protecting domestic production is crucial to ensuring a stable food supply and safeguarding U.S. producers, the association says, according to Beef Point.
