【By Observer Net, Wang Yi】Due to the U.S. "coin-flinging" support for Argentina and Argentina's sale of soybeans to China, the Trump administration and some Republican legislators from American agricultural states have recently had internal conflicts. Now, these Republicans have another complaint — Trump plans to increase the import of Argentine beef.

The U.S. "Congressional Quarterly" reported on October 29 local time that 14 House Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Lierman and Trade Representative Jami Grier, expressing concerns about the Trump administration's plan to increase the import of Argentine beef.

The letter stated: "We urge the government to ensure that any adjustment to the tariff quota or inspection system for Argentine beef must be based on verified equivalence and U.S. beef obtaining equivalent market access."

The signatories of the letter include representatives from Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, whose economies are highly dependent on the beef industry.

The letter pointed out that although the lawmakers "recognize the government's goal of reducing consumer costs," they are concerned that increasing the import of Argentine beef will harm the U.S. cattle industry, weaken the U.S. position in trade negotiations, and "reintroduce avoidable animal health risks."

The lawmakers also said there is an imbalance in beef trade between the United States and Argentina. In a statement released on the 20th, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) criticized Trump's proposal, stating that Argentina has exported $801 million worth of beef to the U.S. over the past five years, while importing only $7 million worth of beef from the U.S.

"Although we recognize the value of diversifying global supply chains, trade decisions must be based on scientific animal health standards and the principles of fairness and reciprocity," the lawmakers said in the letter.

On the 19th, Trump announced on Air Force One that the U.S. was considering importing Argentine beef to lower the historically high U.S. beef prices. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that due to the depletion of cattle herds and the stable demand from American consumers, beef prices in the U.S. market reached record highs this year.

U.S. beef prices continue to rise. Oriental IC

Last week, the Trump administration officially confirmed the plan to quadruple the tariff quota for beef from Argentina, while stating it would accelerate regulatory reforms and increase beef processing capacity to mitigate the impact on domestic ranchers.

This move still triggered opposition from industry associations and bipartisan legislators, especially from states with high cattle numbers.

The Western Montana Stockgrowers Association (WMSA) stated in a press release that it was "deeply concerned" by the recent statements from the Trump administration regarding possible intervention in domestic beef prices and expanding the import of Argentine beef. They strongly urged the U.S. government not to intervene in the domestic beef market, as it could cause potential devastating impacts on ranchers in Montana. These actions could disrupt an already volatile market and bring significant negative impacts to American cattle farmers.

The association also pointed out that Argentina has had issues with animal health and traceability, and increasing beef imports from such a country is "equally concerning."

NCBA also criticized the move, calling it "wrong" and weakening the strength of American cattle farmers, and stating that "any attempt to manipulate the market will only harm the livelihoods of American ranchers."

The New York Times reported on the 28th that Trump had provided substantial economic support to Argentina, including a $2 billion lifeline to President Milei before the midterm elections. This sparked dissatisfaction among American ranchers. Since then, many Republican lawmakers have said they have received hundreds of complaints from agitated ranchers in their respective states.

The report cited sources who said that Republican senators launched a rare protest, pressing Vice President Vance during a private lunch to abandon the White House's plan to increase beef imports from Argentina.

This included Senator Steve Daines from Montana, who said, "I've been talking to ranchers in Montana, and they are rightly angry, and I'm very angry too."

Daines explained that ranchers have been struggling for years, and this policy is another blow to them. "There's a reason the herd size has declined — they have to slaughter early. We should let the free market adjust itself, not flood the market with foreign beef," he said. "If you manipulate the market through imports, the result will be counterproductive, and in the long run, it may lead to further reduction in herd size, making the problem worse."

Daines and Senator Deb Fischer from Nebraska said that the Trump administration has listened to their concerns.

However, whether the Trump administration will reverse its policy remains unknown. The British "Independent" reported on the 29th that Vance, who was "surrounded" by the issue of Argentine beef, tried to lighten the mood with a joke, saying, "Does anyone have problems other than beef?"

Trump's external response continued to emphasize his stance. When he first proposed the idea on the 19th, Trump said, "If we buy some beef from Argentina, I don't mean a lot, it will help Argentina, and we think Argentina is a great country, a great ally."

Last week, he responded again on social media, saying, "The ranchers I love don't understand that the only reason they have done so well for decades is because I imposed tariffs on cattle entering the U.S., including a 50% tariff on Brazil," "It would be better if they understood this."

But the reality is, former Democratic Senator from Montana and farmer Jon Tester said that the current economic situation in rural America is unsustainable, and beef transactions with Argentina would only "completely exacerbate this unsustainability."

Bloomberg News analyzed on the 27th that the Republican Party's control over the central U.S. has become stronger under Trump, but growing unrest among farmers and ranchers could make competition in some midterm election districts more intense, forcing the Republicans to invest more money and effort into races they hadn't planned to campaign in. This situation could also cause the Republicans to lose important financial backers from the agricultural sector.

NCBA donated nearly $1 million to the Republicans in the 2024 election, and since dramatically increasing political donations in 2012, its main donors have always been the Republicans. After the Trump administration announced increased imports of Argentine beef, NCBA quickly condemned the move.

The potential political risks of the Trump administration's actions made Senate Majority Leader and Republican Senator John Thune uneasy. He stated last week that Trump's approach "is not the right way," adding, "This brings a lot of uncertainty to the market, so I hope the White House has received this message."

This article is exclusive to Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

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