Where your meat comes from
Live recordU.S. beef import tracker, 2026
A dated, sourced record of the 2026 beef import expansion: the Argentina tariff-rate quota, record import volumes, the 75-year-low cattle herd, and how to verify that your beef is American.
Key takeaways
- 01In February 2026 the White House raised Argentina's in-quota access for lean beef trimmings from 20,000 to 100,000 metric tons, released in four quarterly tranches starting February 13.
- 02The added volume is about 1 percent of U.S. beef consumption. It is trimmings for ground beef, not steaks.
- 03U.S. beef imports set a record in 2025 at about 5.5 billion pounds, roughly 17 percent of supply, because the cattle herd is the smallest since 1951.
- 04Since January 1, 2026, Product of USA on a label means born, raised, slaughtered, and processed here. Before that date it only meant processed here.
- 05The surest way to know where your beef came from is a farm you can name and a plant whose establishment number you can look up in this registry.
The United States imports more beef than it ever has, and in 2026 the question of where a pound of ground beef came from became a national argument. This page keeps the record straight: what was decided, when, how much, and what it means for someone standing at a meat counter. Every figure links to its source. Opinions belong to the ranchers, economists, and officials quoted, not to us.
The numbers
U.S. beef imports, 2025
5.5 billion lb
A record, up about 18 percent from 2024; about 17 percent of total U.S. beef supply, the highest share on record.
USDA ERS via Beef MagazineUSDA import forecast, 2026
5.7 billion lb
Raised after the November 2025 removal of tariff barriers on Brazilian beef.
USDA Livestock and Poultry Outlook, Feb. 19, 2026Argentina in-quota access, 2026
100,000 MT
Up from 20,000 metric tons; the added 80,000 tons arrive in four 20,000-ton tranches.
Farm Policy NewsShare of U.S. consumption
About 1%
The full 100,000 tons equals roughly 5 percent of U.S. beef imports or about 1 percent of U.S. consumption.
Farm Bureau Market IntelU.S. cattle inventory, Jan. 1, 2026
86.2 million
Lowest since 1951. Calf crop 32.9 million, lowest since 1941.
USDA NASS via NPRTimeline
July 2, 2015
APHIS allows fresh beef imports from Argentina
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued a final rule permitting fresh (chilled or frozen) beef from Argentina under conditions meant to mitigate foot-and-mouth disease risk. Fresh Argentine beef had been barred since a 2001 outbreak.
Source: USDA APHIS / Federal Register, via Beef MagazineOctober 1, 2025
Texas cattle raisers oppose an Argentine import expansion
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association publicly urged a pause on expanding beef imports from Argentina, citing foot-and-mouth disease status and the risk to the U.S. herd.
Source: Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers AssociationDecember 1, 2025
Ground beef reaches a record average retail price
Bureau of Labor Statistics data put the national average price of ground beef at $6.69 per pound in December 2025, the highest in the series, which began in the 1980s.
Source: BLS data as reported by AgWebJanuary 1, 2026
The Product of USA rule takes effect
FSIS began enforcing its 2024 final rule: a voluntary Product of USA or Made in the USA claim may appear only on meat, poultry, and egg products from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States.
Source: Federal Register, 89 FR 19470 (March 18, 2024)February 6, 2026
Executive order to expand lean beef trimming imports
The White House issued an executive order and proclamation directing an 80,000 metric ton increase in the in-quota tariff-rate quota for lean beef trimmings, allocated entirely to Argentina, citing record ground beef prices driven by drought, wildfire, and restrictions on Mexican cattle.
Source: Farm Policy News, University of IllinoisFebruary 13, 2026
First quarterly tranche opens
The added quota is released in four quarterly tranches of 20,000 metric tons each, beginning February 13, 2026, taking Argentina's annual in-quota access from 20,000 to 100,000 metric tons.
Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Quota Bulletin 26-223; Farm Policy NewsMay 29, 2026
U.S. cattle herd confirmed at a 75-year low
Reporting on USDA's January 1 inventory put the U.S. cattle herd at 86.2 million head, the smallest since 1951, with the calf crop at 32.9 million, the smallest since 1941. Herd rebuilding takes years, which is why import volumes rose.
Source: NPR, citing USDA National Agricultural Statistics ServiceJune 1, 2026
Argentine imports on pace to double
Through April 2026, U.S. beef imports from Argentina were up about 90 percent from the same period of 2025, at 27,323 metric tons, putting the year on pace to roughly double.
Source: Meatingplace
What it means at the meat counter
Imported beef is overwhelmingly lean trim. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and New Zealand ship 90 to 95 percent lean trimmings that U.S. grinders blend with fattier domestic trim to hit the 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef sold at retail. Imported steaks and roasts exist but are a small share. If you buy whole-muscle cuts from a U.S. plant, the odds are already high that the animal was domestic.
Ground beef is where origin is opaque. Mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef was repealed in 2015, so a package of ground beef with no origin claim tells you nothing. The Product of USA rule that took effect January 1, 2026 fixes the meaning of the claim when a packer chooses to make it; it does not require anyone to make it.
Two ways to be certain. First, buy from a farm that names its processor, then check the establishment number here or in the FSIS directory. Second, buy the animal, or a share of one, and have it processed at a custom-exempt plant; the meat never enters commerce at all. Our half cow guide and label guide walk through both.
Frequently asked questions
Is the beef in my grocery store from Argentina?
Almost never as steaks or roasts. Nearly all beef imported from Argentina, Australia, and Brazil is lean trimmings that packers blend with fattier domestic trim to make ground beef. If a package of ground beef carries no origin statement, it may contain imported trim. Since January 1, 2026, a Product of USA claim guarantees the animal was born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States.
How much of U.S. beef is imported?
In 2025 imports were a record 5.5 billion pounds, about 17 percent of total U.S. beef supply according to USDA Economic Research Service figures. Most of it is lean trim for grinding. The Argentine quota increase adds roughly 1 percent of U.S. consumption.
Why are beef prices so high in 2026?
The cattle herd is the smallest since 1951 after years of drought and high costs, so there are fewer animals to slaughter. Demand has stayed strong. Imports rose to fill the gap, particularly for ground beef, and even so ground beef hit a record $6.69 per pound in December 2025.
Is Argentine beef safe?
FSIS inspects imported beef at the border and only accepts product from establishments in countries whose inspection systems it has found equivalent. The live debate among U.S. ranchers is about animal disease risk (foot-and-mouth disease, which Argentina controls with vaccination outside the Patagonia region APHIS recognizes as FMD-free) and about market share, not about food safety of the trimmings themselves.
How do I make sure my beef is American?
Buy from a farm you can name and a plant you can look up. Every USDA-inspected package carries an establishment number; this registry and the FSIS directory tell you where that plant is. Or buy the animal itself, a half or a quarter, and have it processed at a custom-exempt plant near you.
Sources
Our verification standards require primary sources: federal and state agencies, the Federal Register, statutes, and university extension research. We do not cite other affiliate sites.
- 1.USDA APHIS / Federal Register, via Beef Magazine
- 2.Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
- 3.BLS via AgWeb
- 4.Federal Register, 89 FR 19470 (March 18, 2024)
- 5.Farm Policy News
- 6.U.S. Customs and Border Protection Quota Bulletin 26-223; Farm Policy News
- 7.USDA NASS via NPR
- 8.Meatingplace
- 9.USDA ERS via Beef Magazine
- 10.USDA Livestock and Poultry Outlook, Feb. 19, 2026
- 11.Farm Bureau Market Intel
Editorial record
Last reviewed September 1, 2026. Rules, quotas, and inspection status change. If you find an error or a plant that has closed, tell us and we will correct the record and note the change here.