Trump is expected to sign an executive order on beef country-of-origin labeling

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The order is expected to be signed behind closed doors at 1:30 p.m. ET, according to Reuters

President Donald Trump outside the White House. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on country-of-origin labeling for beef on Friday, according to Reuters, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

The signing is set for 1:30 p.m. ET and will not be open to press. Reuters noted that it received no reply from the White House when seeking comment.

Under the existing voluntary system, meat companies may affix a "Product of USA" label only to beef that completes its entire life cycle — birth, raising, and slaughter — on American soil. Rancher groups and farm advocates have long called for making such labeling a legal requirement, contending it would give domestic producers a competitive boost and let shoppers know exactly where their beef originates.

The move comes days after Trump announced a 90-day window during which as many as 300,000 metric tons of ground beef could be imported outside of tariff-rate quotas, a step aimed at lowering prices for American consumers. Ground beef prices have remained near record highs, with July data putting the average price of a pound of ground beef at $7.116. The announcement drew sharp criticism from cattle producers and agricultural organizations, who contend the policy harms domestic ranchers by exposing them to cheaper foreign competition.

The backdrop for both moves is a prolonged tightening of U.S. beef supplies. The domestic cattle herd has contracted to its lowest point in 75 years, driven by years of drought, high feed costs, and herd liquidation. Rebuilding herd size takes a minimum of two years from the moment producers begin holding back female heifers for breeding. A ban on Mexican cattle imports, put in place because of a flesh-eating parasite outbreak, has further tightened supplies.

Also last week, Trump said he intended to examine whether excessive regulations were preventing ranchers from butchering their own cattle. The administration has also asked the Justice Department to investigate possible price-fixing by meatpackers and pursued a restart of live cattle imports from Mexico.

Consumer demand for beef has stayed firm despite elevated prices. No other food category tracked by NielsenIQ added more dollars in sales in the run-up to Independence Day, with beef revenue climbing roughly $352 million over the same period last year.

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