U.S. beef imports are already running at historically large levels. During the first quarter of 2026, the United States imported 562,000 metric tons of beef and beef products valued at almost $4.5 billion, an increase of 18 percent from 2025 and 122 percent more than five years ago.
Existing import volumes are already more than the implied quarterly pace of several annual beef tariff-rate quotas. Suspending quantitative tariff-rate-quota limits for 200 days would significantly reduce the tariff burden on additional imported beef entering the U.S. market.
Persistent drought and weak snowpack continue to constrain herd rebuilding. More than 79 percent of the beef -ow herd across the 26 largest cattle-producing states is currently affected by drought conditions – increasing feed, forage and water costs.
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