How will Trump’s beef deal with Argentina affect Iowa ranchers?

Iowa ranchers are concerned about the domestic impact of a recent trade deal that would allow the U.S. to import an additional 80,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings from Argentina.

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation to temporarily increase the U.S. tariff-rate quota for Argentinian beef, with a goal of improving the affordability of ground beef for consumers.

The Feb. 6 proclamation said beef prices have increased due to shrinking U.S. cattle herds, complications with imports from Mexico because of new world screwworm and widespread drought and wildfire.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the price of ground beef per pound rose more than a dollar from January to December in 2025. Beef averaged $6.52 per pound at the end of the year, per the index.

“As President of the United States, I have a responsibility to ensure that hard-working Americans can afford to feed themselves and their families,” the proclamation reads.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. imported 32,800 tons of boneless beef from Argentina in 2024. The recent 80,000-ton deal is specific to “lean beef trimmings” from Argentina, which can be blended with higher-fat trimmings in the U.S. to produce ground beef products.

Iowa Farmers Union president Aaron Lehman said the deal puts Iowa farmers and rural communities “on the front lines” of the president’s trade wars.

“Iowa farmers are proud of what we grow and we want to provide safe affordable food to consumers,” Lehman said in a news release. “We should put our support with American farmers and rural communities.”

Berleen Wobeter, a Tama County farmer, said it is “crazy” that the president would “put the interest of Argentina beef producers ahead of American farmers and ranchers.”

“Why doesn’t the President trust American farmers and ranchers?” Wobeter said in the release with Iowa Farmers Union. “We’ve been raising cattle for over 40 years. There are boom and bust cycles that we’ve had to navigate. There are lots of reasons the US cattle herd is reduced and beef prices are high right now.”

Iowa Farmers Union called on Iowa’s congressional delegation to “not just speak but to act to support Iowa family farmers and ranchers raising cattle and beef.”

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, in a statement said U.S. cattle producers “must come first.”

“If we’re serious about food security and stable prices for families, we should be focused on expanding domestic production — and Iowa is ready to lead,” Nunn said. “Our farmers grow high-quality corn, feed it to their cattle, and raise some of the finest grain-fed beef in the world. That’s the kind of production we should be backing in Washington.”

Trump suggested the idea of purchasing more beef from Argentina in October 2025 and the notion was opposed by national and local cattlemen associations, for fear it would affect cattle producers’ market prices.

The recent deal with Argentina will permit quarterly tranches, each of 20,000 metric tons of lean trimmings, to enter the country without a tariff.

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association said in a statement that members “fundamentally disagree” with the idea that foreign imports are the solution to lower beef prices, “nor is it the solution the consumer desires; a quality and safe U.S. beef supply.”

The association said the focus should instead be on expanding the U.S. cattle herd by eliminating barriers, like the “overregulation” of grazing, access to capital and the threat of foreign animal disease.

“We acknowledge the continued work of this administration to expand markets for our cattle industry through tariff and non-tariff barriers, but it cannot be done at the expense or safety of our own domestic herd,” the statement read.

The Iowa Democratic Party also criticized the trade deal and said it would hurt Iowa cattle farmers. The party said farmers “deserve answers” from Iowa’s representatives.

Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson Drew Myers specifically called out Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is running for Iowa’s open Senate seat in the 2026 election.

“Ashley Hinson is saying and doing nothing while farmers just struggling to break even are kneecapped,” Myers said. “It’s clear Hinson would be a rubber stamp in the Senate for trade policies that prioritize China and Argentina at the expense of Iowa.”

Hinson said in a statement that the trade deal is “the wrong policy at the wrong time.”

“Our cattle producers in Iowa have, unfortunately, faced tough market conditions for years, and I have real concerns about the impacts of this policy leading to more uncertainty and instability for our farmers,” Hinson said. “We must continue to pursue new markets and lower food costs for American families while supporting strong profitability for our cattle producers.”

This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch.