President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would allow 300,000 tons of manufacturing beef to enter tariff-free for 90 days has left the US market largely on hold, according to an Argentine trader.

The source also questioned the measure’s potential effect on retail ground beef prices. Based on his calculations of weekly per capita consumption, he estimated that even a 25% reduction in ground beef prices would generate average savings of only around US$ 0.70 per person per week. “There is no rational justification for creating such a mess” to achieve that result, he said.

Trump’s social media announcement also had repercussions outside the US. A trader told WBR that he had received more inquiries from China and said some Brazilian companies had begun offering more firmly to Asian destinations such as Malaysia, using the possibility that a larger share of production could end up in the US as a sales argument. “If you need to buy, buy now, because everything could go to the United States,” he said.

In Taiwan, a broker reported several trades from Paraguay during the past week, including forequarter tendons at US$ 4,700 per ton, hindquarter tendons at US$ 4,400, intercostal meat at US$ 9,200, tenderloins at US$ 14,000, blade and chuck tender at US$ 8,000, five-cut shin & shank at US$ 7,000 and flanks at US$ 6,500.

A European importer said supplies of Argentine Hilton rump & loin had fallen sharply. “There is much less production and availability,” he told WBR. He secured only one load last week and said he had received virtually no new offers from Argentina or Uruguay since then.

A regional trader reported an improvement in lamb carcass prices for the Middle East, with business concluded from Uruguay at US$ 7,900 per ton CFR.

A Paraguayan meatpacker reported the first September business with Chile at prices slightly above August levels.

Uruguay’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Valeria Csukasi, said Mercosur will arrive at the September 2 meeting of foreign ministers without an agreement regarding the distribution of the new EU beef quota, although she stressed that the current “first come, first served” system is not a bad arrangement for Uruguay either.

Slaughter cattle prices in Mercosur remained stable this week, with opposing forces pulling the market in different directions. The WBR Mercosur Steer Index was unchanged at US$ 4.87 per kilo carcass weight.

Preliminary animal production data for the second quarter show an expanding sector, with cattle and hog slaughter increasing compared with 2025.

However, the year-on-year increase in cattle slaughter was the smallest since early 2022, confirming expectations that the pace of slaughter will moderate this year.

Brazil’s beef export volume in August is certain to be significantly lower than in the same month of 2025. It will be the second consecutive monthly year-on-year decline and the lowest volume since February 2025, 19 months ago.

With the European Union’s restrictions on Brazilian animal proteins due to take effect in one week, producers are stepping up their defense of antimicrobial use and backing a private certification protocol to maintain access to the European market.

Brazil’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office will extend environmental controls to indirect cattle suppliers in the Amazon from 2027, closing the main loophole in the Beef Conduct Adjustment Agreement.

The 90-day suspension of tariffs on up to 300,000 tons of manufacturing beef imported by the US creates a marginal opportunity for Brazilian meatpackers, although Safra believes Minerva Foods is the only company clearly positioned to capture the benefit.

Joesley and Wesley Batista acquired 100% of Avibras through Globe Investimentos, their personal investment vehicle, marking the meat industry entrepreneurs’ entry into the defense sector.

Calves have recorded the strongest appreciation among the beef cattle categories monitored by CEPEA, rising 9.60% in 2026 through August 19, ahead of finished cattle, which gained 8.26% over the same period.

After five consecutive weeks of recovery, slaughter cattle prices in Brazil moved lower.

The average finished cattle price across Brazil’s main cattle-producing states fell R$ 2.70 during the week to R$ 331.90 per arroba, based on Scot Consultoria’s state-level data, net of the Funrural tax and with payment in 30 days. Therefore, it left behind five consecutive weeks of rising quotes.

Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi discussed progress in Vietnam and Indonesia, including a possible visit by Vietnam’s vice president to Uruguay before year-end and a sanitary process in Indonesia that faces a structural obstacle: the country has still not authorized private imports from countries that are free of foot-and-mouth disease with vaccination.

Asked about Uruguay’s accession process to the TPP, Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi said the country has already answered around 1,300 questions covering all areas of the agreement, in a process she described as particularly demanding because compliance with each provision must be demonstrated before negotiations on market access can begin.

Live cattle exports in July fell to less than half the peak recorded in the previous month.

INAC reported that Uruguay exported 34,000 live cattle in July, down 55% from 75,000 head in June.

The MBRF-owned Tacuarembó meatpacking plant has proposed a restructuring plan involving 150 layoffs and wage cuts, Hugo Gálvez, president of the Tacuarembó Meatpacking Workers and Employees Association, told Subrayado.

Last week’s logistical difficulties eased after several consecutive days of dry and sunny weather. However, intense cold and frosts are still preventing sustained growth in forage supplies.

The supply of pasture-finished cattle remains minimal. The August 25 public holiday further restricted trading. Some plants slaughtered on Monday, while others will not begin operating this week until Wednesday. This will reduce the number of cattle processed during the week.

Tight cattle supplies, logistical difficulties caused by heavy rainfall and labor disputes pushed cattle slaughter to its lowest level since April, when activity in Uruguay’s meatpacking industry reached its lowest point.

The sheepmeat market continues to operate with extremely limited supplies and activity levels well below those recorded last year. Lambs are trading at around US$ 6.30 per kilo, while activity involving ewes and wethers remains minimal.

Beef exports totaled 64,852 tons shipment weight in July, down 1.6% from the previous month but up 1.8% from July 2025.

Export revenue reached US$ 461.9 million, 0.3% below the record set the previous month and 29.9% higher than a year earlier.

Frozen boneless beef exports to China totaled 21,022 tons in July 2026, down nearly 30% year-on-year, despite Brazil’s imminent withdrawal as a supplier to the Asian country following the exhaustion of its annual quota.

Exports to the United States in July totaled 672 tons of chilled cuts and 10,667 tons of frozen beef, down 7.3% and 10.6%, respectively, from the previous month. Compared with July 2025, chilled shipments fell 19.5%, while frozen beef exports surged 460%.

Israel purchased 2,780 tons of chilled cuts in July, bringing its total for the first seven months of 2026 to 15,196 tons, up 28% from the same period last year.

Export cattle prices remained stable once again, except for top-quality cows, which increased by around AR$ 100 per kilo.

Demand for finished cattle remains strong in what could be the final week of activity for kosher slaughter crews before they leave next week.

The inventory of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in US feedlots with capacity of 1,000 head or more totaled 11.1 million head on August 1, 2026, up 2% from August 1, 2025.

US commercial red meat production totaled 4.287 billion pounds (1.94 million metric tons) in July, down 2% from the same month in 2025, according to USDA data reported by Brownfield Ag News. The decline was primarily driven by tighter cattle supplies.

The United States reopened the Douglas, Arizona, border port to Mexican cattle on Monday, August 24. Of the 716 Sonoran feeder cattle presented for entry, USDA cleared 692 and rejected 24 because of lesions.

The US government will temporarily waive the out-of-quota tariff for 90 days in an effort to increase supplies. The announcement immediately pressured cattle markets and drew criticism from US producers.

The sharp decline in fed cattle values has pushed feedlot closeouts into negative territory, while processors regain leverage following recent reductions in slaughter capacity.

Fed cattle supplies are still expected to remain tight through year-end, but plant closures could alter the balance between feeders and packers.

According to the USDA weekly report, US beef import prices were sharply lower compared with the previous market test, with some instances moderately lower.

A case of classical BSE was detected through routine surveillance in Scotland and confirmed on August 19 following two positive laboratory tests. The animal did not enter the food chain, and authorities ruled out any risk to human health.

Australia processed almost 9.6 million cattle during the 2025/26 financial year, the highest volume since 1978, according to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA). The result exceeded MLA’s March projection of 9.45 million head for the full 2026 calendar year.

Australia produced a record 2.985 million tons of beef during the 2025/26 financial year, up 8.6% year-on-year, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data released by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).

Australian sheepmeat production declined during the 2025/26 financial year as livestock availability tightened significantly. Lamb slaughter fell 15.3% year-on-year to 22.075 million head, while lamb production declined 11.2% to 554,658 tons. Despite the drop, it remained the fourth-highest annual lamb production volume on record.

Brazil overwhelmingly dominated China’s beef import market in July, accounting for 65% of total imported volume.

After filling its quota of just 206,000 tons in June, imports of Australian beef fell sharply last month.

Among China’s five main beef suppliers, Uruguay has used the smallest share of its quota, partly because of the relatively generous allocation it received, but also because of the decline in production in the country of origin.