Sen. Steve Daines told Newsmax on Thursday that Republican senators gave Vice President JD Vance an "earful" this week over the Trump administration's plan to import beef from Argentina.
They warned the move could undercut struggling U.S. ranchers just as cattle prices begin to recover.
The Montana Republican appeared on Newsmax's "National Report" two days after Vance met privately with Republican senators to discuss the administration's plan to quadruple U.S. imports of Argentine beef at lower tariff rates, a move that has sparked pushback from ranch-state lawmakers.
"To JD's credit, he brought up the beef issue," Daines said. "He asked how many of us are hearing from our ranchers back home — and a lot of hands went up.
"It gave us a chance to tell him directly what we're hearing: Times are tough right now in farm and ranch country."
Daines said ranchers are still reeling from years of drought, soaring fuel and fertilizer costs, and the lingering effects of pandemic-era inflation. While crop prices for soybeans, wheat, and barley remain weak, he noted, the cattle market has finally started to rebound.
He said opening the gates to Argentine imports could undo that progress.
"It's the wrong time to import Argentinian beef to try to drive prices lower," Daines said. "Instead, we would recommend the administration go after the beef packers. They are a monopoly of packers.
"They have a big influence on the price that the consumer pays at the store.
"But for heaven's sakes, don't open up the markets to more Argentinian beef," he added.
The White House is trying to lower record-high beef prices driven by drought, high feed costs, and the smallest U.S. cattle herd since 1951.
Efforts focus on boosting supply through increased imports and USDA plans to rebuild herds without direct producer payments, easing consumer costs and stabilizing meat markets.
However, the senator said the White House should allow "free markets" to function and give American ranchers time to rebuild herds that were decimated by drought and high input costs.
"There's nothing more made in America than cattle," Daines said. "Our cowboys and cowgirls feel betrayed. These ... are the strongest Trump supporters there are. They've been with him since the beginning of time.
"Let the markets recover. Don't flood the market with imported beef."
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