Today, President Trump announced Executive Orders purportedly aimed at lowering the costs of purchasing and producing beef. The move comes as Trump is under fire from consumers for record high beef prices and from ranchers for his recent suspension of certain import tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef, reportedly at the bidding of meat conglomerate JBS Executive Director Joesley Batista.

Since Trump took office in January 2025, Food & Water Watch analysis finds that beef prices have skyrocketed while Tyson and JBS, which collectively slaughter between 40-50% of all U.S. beef cattle, have reported skyrocketing profits of $681 million and $2.4 billion, respectively. JBS’ Batista made $11.4 million in total compensation last year.

In response, Food & Water Watch Food Policy Director Rebecca Wolf issued the following statement:

“President Trump is on an apology tour after his deal to flood U.S. markets with foreign imported beef — it’s not working. Today’s Executive Orders will do nothing to reverse the last two years of Trump’s disastrous food policy. Under his watch, consumer beef prices are at record highs and ranchers can’t make ends meet, all while the multinational meat monopolies profit hand over fist. U.S. agencies charged with protecting market competition sit on the sidelines, made toothless by Trump’s reckless job cuts.

“It is clearer than ever that Congress must heed popular demand and restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling to give American producers an even playing field. And Trump must put his money where his mouth is and fund antitrust and fair trade enforcement to truly help American families and ranchers.”

Food & Water Watch has called for restoration of mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) since it was repealed in 2015. The broad-based National MCOOL Coalition launched a “Label Our Beef” petition this week calling on Congress to restore MCOOL for beef.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has cut over 6,000 jobs from the agencies tasked with enforcement of antitrust and agricultural competition laws like the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and the Agricultural Marketing Service. The administration is also threatening to further slash funding for the Department of Agriculture’s Packers and Stockyards Division, which oversees antitrust and fair trade protections for livestock and poultry producers. The administration also plans to roll back regulatory protections for farmers and ranchers against abusive meatpacker practices. These moves are a far cry from the real action that is sorely needed to restore competition.