President Trump announced a plan allowing up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef into the United States over the next 90 days without triggering an out-of-quota tariff, a tax imposed after imports exceed a specified quantity. Trump said the imported beef would be sold 25% below current market rates. A White House official told The Associated Press that the shipments would consist of lean beef trimmings for ground-beef production, most of which Oklahoma State University agricultural economist Dr. Derrell Peel said would likely go to food-service operators, particularly fast-food restaurants. Trump has not identified the supplying countries, saying in August that a few countries would provide the highest-quality beef. Imported beef generally does not appear in grocery stores unless specifically labeled, although some beef from Mexico is marketed to Hispanic consumers. The voluntary Product of USA label requires meat to come exclusively from animals born, raised, harvested and processed in the United States. Single-ingredient products cannot contain imported livestock or ingredients, while multi-ingredient products must use U.S.-sourced components other than spices and flavorings and undergo all preparation and processing in the United States. Beef imported from Canada and Mexico has long been part of the U.S. supply, and labels may describe products as packed or processed domestically. Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand accounted for about 80% of U.S. beef imports through the first half of 2026, NewsNation reported.