Independent U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn criticized President Donald Trump’s recent proclamation expanding low-tariff beef imports from Argentina, saying the policy harms American ranchers and undercuts domestic producers.
“Last week, an executive order was signed to quadruple the amount of beef imported into the U.S. from Argentina,” Osborn said in a public statement. “Why are we doing this? Why do we keep undercutting American ranchers?”
Last week, an executive order was signed to QUADRUPLE the amount of beef imported into the U.S. from Argentina.
— Dan Osborn (@osbornforne) February 10, 2026
Why are we doing this? Why do we keep undercutting American ranchers?
Trump on Friday signed a proclamation raising low-tariff imports of Argentine beef, a move the administration said is intended to reduce food costs for consumers. Economists told Reuters the increase is unlikely to significantly affect retail prices.
The proclamation allows Argentina to ship an additional 80,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings to the United States at reduced duties. These trimmings are typically blended with domestic beef to produce hamburger meat, according to a White House statement.
U.S. beef prices reached record highs last year due to strong consumer demand and shrinking cattle supplies, with the national herd at its lowest level in 75 years, according to government data cited by Reuters.
Osborn, a Navy and Nebraska Army National Guard veteran who is running for Senate in Nebraska as an independent, said the policy fails to address structural problems in the cattle industry and instead shifts pressure onto domestic producers.
“Instead of imports that sideline American ranchers, we should be focused on solutions that cut red tape, lower production costs, and support growing our cattle herd,” Republican Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska said in a separate statement criticizing the move.
Industry groups have also warned that the policy could depress prices for U.S. cattle. “Cattlemen and women cannot stand behind President Trump while he undercuts the future of family farmers and ranchers by importing Argentinian beef,” the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said.
House Agriculture Committee Democrats said in a statement posted on social media prior to the signing that the move contradicts Trump’s “America First” trade messaging and would harm domestic producers.
.@realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse Cattlemen and women cannot stand behind President Trump while he undercuts the future of family farmers and ranchers by importing Argentinian beef. It is imperative that @POTUS and @SecRollins let cattle markets work without interference.
— National Cattlemen's Beef Association (@BeefUSA) October 22, 2025
If the…
The White House said the proclamation is intended to boost beef supplies and lower prices for consumers by temporarily expanding tariff-free imports of lean beef trimmings from Argentina, citing drought, wildfires and disease-related import restrictions that have reduced U.S. cattle inventories and pushed ground beef prices to record levels.
