CASE Urges USTR to Reject Beef Tariffs to Ease Consumer Costs

Gerard Scimeca, chairman of CASE, characterized the push for tariffs as an irrational move that undermines the administration's economic goals. The group argues that domestic supply currently fails to meet consumer demand, driving ground beef prices to record highs. By maintaining tariff-free access for lean beef from South American nations like Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, the U.S. can stabilize costs without harming the interests of domestic ranchers, who focus primarily on premium cuts.

CASE contends that imports of low-dollar, lean beef serve a distinct market niche, complementing rather than competing with high-end U.S. Black Angus products. The organization’s formal submission to the USTR calls for a balanced approach: protecting the consumer by keeping affordable protein flowing into grocery stores, while simultaneously excluding companies under Department of Justice investigation for anticompetitive conduct, such as JBS and Marfrig, from tariff-free quotas. This strategy, they suggest, aligns with the USDA’s ongoing efforts to rebuild domestic capacity while shielding families from unnecessary price inflation.