House Ways and Means Chair to USDA, USTR: Don't Enlarge Quota for Argentinian Beef
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith has added his voice to the chorus of Republicans pushing back on President Donald Trump's plan to increase Argentinian beef imports, in the aim of lowering beef prices on grocery store shelves.
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Smith, R-Mo., posted a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and the U.S. trade representative on his district website, not the Ways and Means Committee page.
"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," he wrote, joined by Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith, R-Neb., and a dozen other House Republicans.
He wrote in the release announcing the letter, "I strongly disagree with the idea that purchasing beef from Argentina will have a meaningful impact on prices at the store."