Trump seeks cheaper US hamburgers by waiving tariffs on 300,000 tonnes of beef

Donald Trump is trying to make hamburgers cheaper by allowing 300,000 tonnes of beef into the United States without tariffs for 90 days beginning Sept. 1. The proclamation, signed last week, aims to ease pressure on consumers as ground beef prices remain high.

Half a kilogram of ground beef currently costs about $6.89 on average in the United States, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by CNN. The White House has not explained precisely how removing tariffs would lower prices. The administration says foreign exporters are willing to cut prices because they will no longer have to pay the duties.

Questions remain over how authorities would check whether the imported beef is actually sold at the required prices. Even if the meat reaches the market more cheaply, the effect could be limited. The permitted imports represent roughly 2% of domestic beef consumption, and the tariff exemption covers only trimmings, which processors mix with other cuts to make ground beef.

Agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor said the outcome will also depend on whether imports add to the beef supply or merely replace quantities processors would otherwise have bought from US suppliers. Beef prices have risen 27% over three years and about 9% over the past year. The White House blames insufficient supply, while Tonsor says strong demand is the main factor, aided by improvements in beef quality.

Tonsor’s monthly survey of about 3,000 Americans found that consumers last month were willing to pay $10.09 for roughly 450 grams of ground beef and $24.62 for a restaurant hamburger. Three years earlier, the figures were $8.67 and $20.19. That growing appetite could make Trump’s price-cutting effort harder, even if the administration expands supply and secures cheaper imports.