PRESS RELEASE
All Fat, No Cattle: Eli Crane Silent as Trump Buys Foreign Beef and Ignores Our Ranchers
FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Today, President Donald Trump moved to lift tariffs on ground beef imported from other countries instead of prioritizing American farmers. Rep. Eli Crane, who has voted with President Trump 100% of the time once again rubber-stamps a president whose policies hurt Arizona ranchers.
“Typical Congressman Crane is complicit as this administration squeezes Arizona farmers and ranchers already hurting from tariffs and high costs by favoring imported beef over American beef,” said Nez. “What ever happened to ‘America First’?”
The government is allowing 300,000 tons of ground beef to be imported without tariffs after beef prices have risen by 24% since January 2025.
In Arizona, there are as many as 5,800 farms and ranches that raise cattle and calves, many of them in Arizona’s vast 2nd Congressional District. These ranchers, already hurting as a result of Trump’s tariffs and skyrocketing costs of feed and grain, will now have to compete in a market where imported beef could be sold cheaper.
The surge in beef prices comes alongside record-high gas and electricity costs plus skyrocketing fertilizer costs, which have been driven in part by the Trump administration’s tariff policies and reckless wars.
Crane has repeatedly voted to block congressional oversight and protect the government’s sweeping tariffs. These votes prevented measures aimed at rolling back or terminating tariffs on various global imports.
SEE ALSO:
The Hill: Trump temporarily lifts ground beef import tariffs (8/21/26)
The Hill: Massie, Greene slam Trump’s move to lower beef prices (8/21/26)
Arizona Beef Council: Cattle in Arizona