Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) questions U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick throughout a Senate Appropriations Committee listening to within the Dirksen Senate Workplace Constructing on Capitol Hill on June 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Photographs
Republican Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska on Tuesday warned President Donald Trump that his proposal for the U.S. to purchase Argentina’s beef will damage American cattle ranchers and fail to decrease costs.
“Backside line: if the objective is addressing beef costs on the grocery retailer, this is not the best way,” Fischer wrote in an X submit.
Trump floated the concept over the weekend as a solution to deliver down beef prices, which have soared within the U.S. this yr.
The tentative plan would contain additional U.S. funding in Argentina, the South American nation whose teetering financial system has just lately been buoyed by a $20 billion foreign money swap deal with the Trump administration.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned final week that the U.S. is contemplating offering Argentina one other $20 billion in financing. Argentina President Javier Milei is an in depth ally of Trump.
Fischer wrote Tuesday morning that she has reached out to the Trump administration to specific “deep issues” concerning the doable Argentine beef purchase.
“I’ve additionally been sounding the alarm on the awful state of our ag financial system and the damaging impacts going through Nebraska’s ag business — the financial driver of our state,” Fischer wrote.
“Proper now, authorities intervention within the beef market will damage our cattle ranchers. The U.S. has secure, dependable beef, and it’s the one vibrant spot in our struggling ag financial system,” the senator wrote.
“Nebraska’s ranchers can’t afford to have the rug pulled out from below them once they’re simply getting forward or just breaking even,” she wrote.
“I strongly encourage the Trump administration to deal with commerce offers that profit our ag producers — not imports that can do extra hurt than good.”
Trump instructed reporters on Air Pressure One Sunday that his administration is “eager about doing” the meat cope with Argentina.
“We’d purchase some beef from Argentina,” Trump mentioned. “If we try this, that can deliver our beef costs down.”
Requested to reply to U.S. farmers who really feel that that deal would profit Argentina over themselves, Trump was dismissive.
“Argentina is combating for its life, younger woman. You do not know something about it,” he mentioned.
“If I can assist them survive in a free world — I occur to love the president of Argentina. I feel he is making an attempt to do the most effective he can. However do not make it sound like they’re doing nice. They’re dying,” Trump mentioned.
The president’s feedback shortly raised alarms with U.S. cattle ranchers.
The Nationwide Cattlemen’s Beef Affiliation mentioned in an announcement Monday that its farmers and ranchers “are involved that rewarding Argentina with this expanded entry to the U.S. market harms American cattlemen and girls, whereas additionally interfering with the free market.”
“This plan solely creates chaos at a essential time of the yr for American cattle producers, whereas doing nothing to decrease grocery retailer costs,” NCBA CEO Colin Woodall mentioned in the identical press launch.
The Trump administration’s monetary help for Buenos Aires had already drawn the ire of American soybean producers, who’re reeling from the lack of China as a high buyer because of the ongoing commerce conflict with the U.S.
China has began shopping for soybeans from Argentina, which reportedly suspended export taxes final month — a transfer that coincided with Trump’s pledge to assist Milei.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, requested Tuesday morning on CNBC’s “Squawk Field” about shopping for Argentine beef, famous that Trump “has talked about it a few instances.”
“I feel you will be listening to extra about precisely what that appears like,” she mentioned.
Rollins mentioned the meat business within the U.S. has grow to be massively consolidated lately, which has resulted in hundreds of farms closing.
“The costs are excessive. The president could be very targeted on his promise of maintaining grocery costs down, however he is additionally very targeted, and you will hear extra from us maybe within the subsequent day or two, on what we’re are going to do to incentivize” individuals to grow to be ranchers, Rollins mentioned.
The U.S. Division of Agriculture, in an announcement to CNBC, didn’t straight deal with Fischer’s issues concerning the Argentina proposal.
“Whereas costs for different proteins comparable to eggs, pork and rooster have declined in latest months, beef costs stay elevated. That is because of the excellent storm of sustained improve in shopper demand for beef coupled with a chronic lower within the provide of reside cattle,” a USDA spokesperson mentioned.
“Constructing again the herd will take time however Secretary Rollins is dedicated to scale back danger for cattle producers, ship strong catastrophe reduction to cattle nation, and help new and starting ranchers throughout the nation,” the spokesperson mentioned.