When it comes to trade policy, few issues stir as much debate in cattle country as the agreements that govern how livestock and beef move across North America’s borders. This week, one of the most prominent voices for independent cattle producers made its position clear: R-CALF USA, the nation’s largest producer-only cattle trade association, is throwing its full support behind President Donald Trump’s indication that he may not renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, better known as the USMCA.
The statement, issued from Billings, Montana, came directly on the heels of the President’s comments suggesting the agreement might not be renewed. For R-CALF USA, the announcement was welcome news after years of concern over how trade has shaped the fortunes of America’s ranching families.
The association pointed out that, despite the U.S. cattle industry being the largest segment of American agriculture, the USMCA made no meaningful changes to cattle and beef trade. In the eyes of independent cattle and sheep producers, the deal was simply a continuation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, which took effect back in 1994.
According to R-CALF USA, both NAFTA and the USMCA allowed tariff-free trade in cattle, sheep, beef, lamb and mutton between the United States, Mexico and Canada. The group argues that these policies made imported livestock and beef more accessible and economically attractive to meatpackers, which in turn reduced the incentive for U.S. farmers and ranchers to rebuild and expand their own herds and supply chains.
The association also raised concerns about how beef is labeled. The USMCA kept NAFTA’s rules of origin, which designate the country where an animal is slaughtered as the product’s country of origin. Combined with the absence of mandatory country-of-origin labeling, R-CALF USA says this allows imported beef to be sold right alongside domestic beef without any distinction. The result, the group contends, is less price transparency for consumers and fewer reasons for the savings from lower-cost imports to ever reach shoppers at the meat counter.
The numbers cited in the statement paint a sobering picture for those who make their living raising cattle. R-CALF USA noted that the United States continues to run a substantial trade deficit in cattle and beef with its neighbors, importing more than three times the cattle and beef from Mexico and Canada than it sends in return each year. The association argues this imbalance has steadily eroded cattle operations, herds, feedlots, and the rural jobs and businesses that depend on them.
Since NAFTA took effect, the group reported, the number of U.S. beef cattle farms and ranches has fallen from 900,680 to 622,160, a decline of 31 percent. The nation’s mother-cow herd, a key measure of the industry’s productive capacity, had dropped to a historic low of roughly 27.9 million head by 2025, down about 22 percent from 1994 levels. During the same period, approximately 86,000 U.S. feedlots with fewer than 1,000 head exited the business altogether, a 77 percent decline in the number of domestic feedlots. Meanwhile, imports of beef from cattle born in Mexico and Canada have climbed 63 percent since NAFTA’s implementation, serving as a direct substitute for beef raised here at home.
For R-CALF USA, these figures tell the story of an industry that has steadily contracted while watching its competitive infrastructure wear thin. The association maintains that the USMCA has increased reliance on imported cattle and beef supplies, displacing domestic production and the producers who built their lives around it.
In closing its statement, the group left no doubt about where it stands. R-CALF USA said it fully supports President Trump’s decision not to renew the USMCA, framing the move as a chance to give independent American cattle and sheep producers a fairer footing in their own home market.
Readers can find R-CALF USA’s full comments submitted for the USMCA review, along with more information about the organization, at www.r-calfusa.com or by calling 406-252-2516.