Indiana Congressman Rudy Yakym (R-IN-02) is among 14 Republican House members who have signed a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer expressing concerns over President Trump’s plan to significantly increase imports of beef from Argentina in order to lower retail beef prices for U.S. consumers.
Yakym is the only Republican lawmaker from Indiana to have signed the letter.
The letter reads, “While we share the Administration’s goal of lowering costs for consumers, we are concerned that granting additional market access to Argentina – already one of our largest beef suppliers – will undermine American cattle producers, weaken our position in ongoing trade negotiations, and reintroduce avoidable animal-health risks. On average, Argentina exports over $200 million of beef annually to the U.S. while purchasing less than $2 million of U.S. beef in return. This persistent imbalance, combined with Argentina’s continued tariffs on U.S. beef and its documented history of foot-and-mouth disease, raises serious questions about reciprocity, safety, and long-term fairness.”
The letter was originated by Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO-08), who also serves as Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Trump’s plan to increase imports of beef from Argentina comes after reports that he has recently offered Argentina a $20 billion economic bailout as a show of support to Argentina’s President Javier Milei.
“We would buy some beef from Argentina,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One during a flight from Florida to Washington on Sunday, Oct. 19. “If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down.”
Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), told Hoosier Ag Today, “We’re extremely disappointed with the President’s comments and his approach. [The U.S.] has the highest quality beef that’s ever been produced in the history of this industry. We are finally get paid for that quality, and in essence, the President basically told us to go pound sand.”
Trump later responded to cattle producers and critics of his proposal on his Truth Social platform:
“The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put Tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% Tariff on Brazil. If it weren’t for me, they would be doing just as they’ve done for the past 20 years — Terrible! It would be nice if they would understand that, but they also have to get their prices down, because the consumer is a very big factor in my thinking, also!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon.
CLICK HERE to read the full letter.
