Cape News

Congressman Jason Smith of Missouri's 8th District, who serves as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has joined other Republican lawmakers in urging the Trump Administration to reconsider a plan that would expand imports of Argentine beef into the United States. In a letter addressed to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, Smith and his colleagues expressed concerns about the impact such imports could have on American cattle producers.

Smith said, “While I agree with the president that, despite lower inflation, the cost of food is still too high for many working families, I strongly disagree with the idea that purchasing beef from Argentina will have a meaningful impact on prices at the store. In recent days, I have heard from countless cattle farmers in Missouri who have expressed concerns that they are being unfairly blamed for the high cost of beef when the Biden administration’s disastrous economic policies are still having huge impacts on their operations. I completely agree with them. I commend the Trump Administration for its work to open new markets for American cattle farmers. Just this weekend President Trump announced deals with several critical trading partners in Southeast Asia. These countries have historically maintained high tariffs on U.S. beef and thanks to President Trump’s efforts, US ranchers now have access to their markets. These deals only reenforce my opposition to any plans to purchase beef from foreign countries tariff free – particularly when those same nations do not give our own farmers equal access. America First means American Beef.”

The letter signed by Smith and other lawmakers states: “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.”

The letter also points out actions taken by the Trump Administration intended to support domestic agriculture: “The Administration’s efforts to expand small and medium size processing capacity, open additional grazing lands, enforce country of origin rules for usage of ‘Product of USA’ labels, and strengthen the USDA’s remote grading program represent meaningful progress toward ensuring that the United States remains the world’s leading supplier of safe, high-quality beef. These actions have reinforced confidence in rural America and underscored the Trump Administration’s commitment to revitalizing domestic agriculture.”

Jason Smith has represented Missouri's 8th District since 2013 after succeeding Jo Ann Emerson in Congress (https://smith.house.gov/about). Before serving in Congress he was a member of Missouri's House of Representatives from 2005 until 2013 (https://ballotpedia.org/Jason_Smith_(Missouri)). Born in St Louis in 1980 and currently residing in Salem at age 42 (https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/S001197), Smith graduated from University of Missouri with a BS degree before earning his JD from Oklahoma City University (https://www.congress.gov/member/jason-smith/S001197).