Florida ranchers urge Trump to reverse beef import policy amid election worries

President Donald Trump lifted tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of imported lean beef trimmings until around Thanksgiving, citing a need to reduce consumer prices. The decision has sparked backlash from Florida's cattle community, who argue it undercuts domestic producers at a time of rising cost pressures. House Agriculture Committee member Kat Cammack said the move could discourage ranchers from voting, even if it does not switch them to the Democratic side.

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson warned that fewer FDA inspections of foreign facilities, now down nearly 30 percent from prior years, pose a quality risk for American farms. Central Florida rancher Scott Ramsey, a Trump supporter, called the policy a “slap in the face.” Prices at the Okeechobee Livestock Market have fallen about 30 percent, hitting ranchers just before the peak September selling season, according to Audra Clemons and Dusty Holley of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association.