Trump Signs Executive Orders Temporarily Cutting Tariffs on Beef Imports

President Donald Trump will sign two executive orders on Monday, May 12, 2026, that temporarily reduce tariffs on beef imports by suspending the annual tariff-rate quota on all beef-exporting nations, according to multiple reports citing administration officials and the Wall Street Journal. The move is intended to lower beef prices and support rebuilding of the domestic cattle herd.

The U.S. cattle herd has shrunk to a 75-year low. The USDA national average beef price at supermarkets reached near $7 per pound, while the cost of beef has surged 16 percent in the past year, according to Forbes. The administration is planning to temporarily reduce tariffs on beef imports as soon as Monday.

U.S. imports in the first quarter came largely from Brazil, Australia and Canada, according to USDA data. Trump had already increased Argentina’s quota for beef shipments.

The U.S. is poised to import a record amount of beef in 2026. A separate USDA plan announced in fall 2025 aims to loosen regulations, including on grazing access, to boost supplies. The executive orders will also reduce certain regulations surrounding protections for endangered wolves and ear tag requirements, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The Justice Department is investigating the meatpacking industry for antitrust behavior. Processors have reported losses in the current market. Tyson shares sank while Walmart fell after the announcement, according to ZeroHedge. JBS NV shares briefly erased losses before resuming declines.

Goldman Sachs has said that the 10-week closure of the Strait of Hormuz has so far caused only limited disruption to the global economy. A separate set of international issues awaits Trump in Beijing. The presidential summit between Trump and Xi Jinping is scheduled for May 13-15, 2026.

The meeting was postponed after Trump approved joint strikes with Israel against Iran in late February 2026, according to The Guardian. U.S. Congress approved an $11 billion arms sale package to Taiwan last year. Taiwan’s legislature approved a $25 billion special defence budget on May 9, 2026.

The budget is around two-thirds of what the government had originally sought.