The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative heard testimony Monday on its proposal to exempt beef from a proposed 25% tariff on Brazilian imports as part of the Trump administration’s goal to reduce prices.
The potential exemption from the proposed Section 301 tariffs has caused uproar in the cattle industry; the United States Cattlemen's Association testified against the exemption at the first day of the two-day hearing.
“Brazil’s cattle sector enjoys an unfair advantage that no U.S. rancher can — or would ever want to — compete with: a virtually unlimited supply of cheap, illegally created land and labor,” Jenna Stanton, USCA’s director of policy and public affairs, said to the panel. “Those are not isolated abuses; they are business models. We are simply asking for a market where everyone plays by the same basic rules.”
USCA urged the panel to apply an additional 25% tariff to Brazilian bovine products and reject carveouts for lean trim or variety meats, according to a press release.
Separately, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy urged the Trump administration to reject calls by the industry to tariff Brazilian beef, arguing that consumer demand for beef exceeds domestic supply.
“Imposing tariffs on lean beef imports would be irrational and self-defeating," Gerard Scimeca, CASE chairman, said in a press release. "These tariffs would be nothing short of a 'burger tax' placed directly on the American consumer months before they head to the polls to decide whether Republicans will be able to continue delivering on President Trump's agenda."
The hearing concludes Tuesday.
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