Middle Georgia cattle producer, professor weigh impact of Trump beef tariff cut

Joseph Egeloff says his customers prioritize quality and knowing where their food comes from, while an economist says cheaper imports could benefit consumers.

MONROE COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A Middle Georgia cattle producer says a temporary reduction in tariffs on certain imported ground beef likely won’t have much impact on his operation, but other farmers who sell cattle as a commodity could feel the effects.

Joseph Egeloff owns Rocking Chair Ranch Cattle. He says his customers are not buying local beef simply because of the price. Instead, they are looking for quality and want to know where their food comes from.

“A lot of people think about how expensive beef is, but if you compare it to potato chips or candy bars, it’s very inexpensive,” he said. “However, I do understand him trying to take pressure off the beef industry and get beef into the hands of those that need it.”

President Donald Trump is temporarily lowering tariffs on certain ground beef imports in an effort to increase the supply of beef and bring down prices for consumers.

The decision allows 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to enter the country at lower tariff rates over the next 90 days. However, the move has drawn criticism from ranchers, Republican lawmakers and some cattle associations.

Dr. Greg George, director of the Center for Economic Analysis at Middle Georgia State University, says importing beef is not a new practice and has historically given consumers another, lower-cost option.

“Tariffs are a tax on imports, so they effectively raise the price of things,” he said. “The inflation that’s being caused by the tariffs he enacted, Trump wants to make it easier on people by removing one of them, to get rid of that tax. So it would be kind of a return to normal.”

George says lower tariffs could make imported beef more affordable for consumers. He also says domestic cattle producers could feel the effects differently depending on the market they serve.

The lower tariff rates on certain ground beef imports are set to remain in place for 90 days.

Egeloff says imported beef could have a greater impact on farmers who trade cattle as a commodity.

He also says rising costs have affected the beef industry over the past several years, including the price of equipment and other inputs farmers rely on.

“Prices are higher than they have been in ever, in comparison to other things, which is true,” he said. “However, if you look at what a pickup costs, what our fertilizer, our lime, or other inputs are, just a roll of barbed wire has nearly tripled in the last two years.”

Egeloff says his ranch began about 15 years ago when he and a friend came up with the idea of selling locally raised beef to a local restaurant.

What started as an operation expecting to sell about 12 head of cattle a year has grown significantly. Egeloff says Rocking Chair Ranch now processes about 150 head of cattle a month from farms across multiple states.