President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States will allow tariff-free beef imports from Brazil and Argentina, among other countries, as part of efforts to reduce high food prices. Speaking at an Oval Office event with ranchers and farmers, Trump said, “It’s coming from Argentina. It’s coming from Brazil. It’s coming from a couple of other places. We have our inspectors down. It’s very clean. It’s very good.” The move follows a decision last month to temporarily pause tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of beef, allowing it to be sold at a 25 percent discount below market price. Trump argued that this would lower costs for American consumers while giving U.S. ranchers time to rebuild their herds. However, the announcement was met with criticism from the cattle industry and some Republican lawmakers, who warned that lowering prices for consumers should not come at the expense of U.S. ranchers. Trump responded by saying the move was being implemented cautiously, noting that “our ranchers can handle it,” and that they also wanted prices to be lower. The White House later defended the decision after reports surfaced that a Brazilian billionaire may have influenced the policy. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump met with Joesley Batista, a co-owner of JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, the day before the announcement. Batista and his brother were fined in 2020 for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by using funds from a bribery scheme to expand operations in the U.S. The tariff pause also comes after an unrelated incident involving the recall of nearly 30,000 pounds of Argentinian beef that had been distributed in Texas and Florida. Meanwhile, Trump signed two executive orders at the Resolute Desk. One allows ranchers and farmers to butcher, process, package, and sell their own products, while the other mandates country-of-origin labeling for all foreign beef. Trump criticized the four largest U.S. beef processors — Tyson Foods, JBS S.A., Cargill, and National Beef Packing Co. — for allegedly holding a monopoly over the industry. He called them “a very nasty group, very difficult to deal with,” and said they were costing farmers, ranchers, and the public significant amounts of money. When asked about the timeline for implementing country-of-origin labeling, Trump said he would bring the issue to Congress immediately. “We’re putting it in front of Congress right away,” he said. “It should be no problem.” The move highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and major meat processors, as well as broader debates over food pricing, trade policy, and the influence of foreign business interests.