With beef prices soaring, President Trump is considering an idea that is at odds with his usual mantra that nearly everything should be made in the United States.
Mr. Trump, who has imposed tariffs on nearly everything that America imports, said that he was considering buying beef from Argentina to bolster supplies and curb rising prices. The idea contradicts Mr. Trump’s guiding economic philosophy of erecting import barriers to encourage domestic production. It also suggests that the president believes that in some cases, open markets can be an antidote to rising prices.
“We would buy some beef from Argentina,” Mr. Trump said to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. “If we do that, that would bring our beef prices down.”
Ground beef prices in the United States have increased by about 15 percent this year, to a record high of nearly $7 per pound. The spike in prices stems from several factors, including hotter weather and the tariffs that Mr. Trump has imposed on key trading partners.
Droughts across parts of the country have forced ranchers to shrink their cattle herds, causing beef prices to increase along with demand for red meat. And beef imports from some countries such as Brazil have started to fall because of steep tariffs on their exports to the United States.
So Mr. Trump is turning to Argentina, the struggling Latin American ally that he has been showering with economic support. The administration is providing Argentina with a $20 billion lifeline that was formalized on Monday, and has been buying pesos to shore up that country’s currency. During a visit to the White House by President Javier Milei of Argentina, Mr. Trump said the United States could consider striking a free-trade agreement with Argentina.
It now appears that beef could be on the table as part of such a pact.
While Americans who eat meat might praise such a move to lower the cost of their burgers, the notion of buying more beef from Argentina is already causing backlash in rural America. Cattle ranchers in the United States believe that beef is priced fairly here and that the Trump administration should not be suppressing prices with imports that they view as low-quality.
“This plan only creates chaos at a critical time of the year for American cattle producers, while doing nothing to lower grocery store prices,” said Colin Woodall, chief executive of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Mr. Woodall added that the U.S. trade relationship with Argentina was unbalanced when it came to beef, noting that the United States exported about $7 million of beef to Argentina over the last five years but imported $801 million worth. He also raised safety concerns, pointing to the history of foot-and-mouth disease in Argentina that can threaten livestock.
Argentina accounts for about 2 percent of U.S. beef imports. They are limited by a tariff quota, which triggers an additional tax when the import cap is exceeded.
Justin Tupper, president of the United States Cattlemen’s Association, said that buying beef from Argentina, which does not have the same quality safeguards as the United States, was a “horrible idea.” He warned that meat processors would mix the cheaper imported beef with American beef to lower prices, and argued that a pound of ground beef was no more expensive than a high-end coffee drink.
“We’re bringing in something and taking down our own industry,” said Mr. Tupper, of South Dakota, who urged Mr. Trump to take steps to support American ranchers and increase cattle production.
Buying more beef from Argentina would be the latest economic win for a country that has benefited from Mr. Trump’s presidency, including his trade war. China has started buying more soybeans from Brazil and Argentina instead of the United States, upsetting domestic farmers who have nowhere to sell their crops and have seen prices fall.
Mr. Trump has said that he wants to use revenue from tariffs to support American farmers, but so far he has not introduced an aid plan. The president is expected to raise the issue with President Xi Jinping of China when they meet later this month.
This would not be the first time Mr. Trump defied his protectionist instincts to keep inflation contained as he pursues his aggressive tariff policies. Earlier this year, he looked to South Korea and Turkey to supply eggs as prices in the United States surged.
Mr. Trump, who has a personal affinity for Mr. Milei and wants him to help reduce China’s influence in Latin America, defended his efforts to help Argentina while American farmers struggle.
“Argentina is fighting for its life,” Mr. Trump said on Sunday. “They have no money, they have no anything. They’re fighting so hard to survive.”
Alan Rappeport is an economic policy reporter for The Times, based in Washington. He covers the Treasury Department and writes about taxes, trade and fiscal matters.
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