The US beef industry looks a little unsteady — but Americans are still bullish on steak

America’s relationship with its leading red meat is long, storied, and often tender — though at present “US beef” could likely be taken for a comment on geopolitical relations as much as a reference to the nation’s favorite cattle product.

Westward-moving settlers fought Native Americans for pastures in the 19th century, giving way to “The Cattle Kingdom,” which then opened the floodgates for big industrialized beef in the 1900s. For as long as there’s been Hollywood, there’s been cowboys and their cattle, and there’s nothing that says “America” quite like a cheeseburger. But after decades of grilling, grinding, searing, and stewing, the US beef industry hit a slight fork in the road.

Till the cows come home

Against a backdrop of international tariffs, including significant agricultural import taxes, America is facing a beef deficit. While the country had been a net exporter of beef as recently as 2022, a national cattle shortfall in the last few years has seen the US become more reliant on imports to contain beef prices, as outlined in a recent Economist article.

According to historical data from the Department of Agriculture, beef and veal imports to the US by carcass weight have increased by more than a third (37%) in the last two years, reaching a total of 4.6 billion pounds last year. Meanwhile, US beef exports have fallen 15% over the same period. With countries like China already halting beef imports from the US and calling on major exporters like Australia to fill in the gaps, the deficit might only widen.