It is not just that Trump is good and a friend of Milei: The USDA itself warns of the deep crisis in meat production in

Published Feb 6, 2026

Tridge summary

The data released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicate that its beef production crisis is far from being resolved and that it has increasing import needs to serve its domestic market. In that context, the United States has been extremely generous with Argentina, enabling the importation of 100,000 tons with low tariffs. This is good news for Argentine exporters who have found in that market a new and potent destination for local beef and also indicates the emergence of a new competitor for China in demand, which encourages price firmness in the global market.

Original content

The data released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that its beef production crisis is far from being resolved and that it has growing import needs to meet its domestic market. In this context, it has been extremely generous with Argentina, allowing the import of 100,000 tons with low tariffs. This is good news for Argentine exporters who have found in that market a new and powerful destination for local meat and also indicates the emergence of a new competitor for China in demand, which encourages price firmness in the global market. According to a recent USDA report, the cattle stock remains stagnant at 86 million heads, the smallest since 1951. Its breeding cow herd is only 27.6 million animals for beef and almost 10 million more for milk. Calf production was 32.9 million in 2025, the lowest since 1941. In this scenario, the USDA forecasts that beef production in 2026 will be 11.7 million tons, 1% below the volume estimated for 2025. The smaller number ...

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