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Beef imports likely to increase in 2025

A livestock economist says tight supplies will force more beef imports in 2025.

Brenda Boetel with the University of Wisconsin River Falls tells Brownfield says the U.S. imported almost 4.4 billion pounds of beef in 2024. “That’s about an 18-19 percent increase over 2023 and we really expect in 2025 we’ll probably continue to increase those imports.”

Boetel says the top five monthly imports for beef all occurred in 2024 and she doesn’t expect imports to decline anytime soon.  “We’re going to see a big increase at the beginning part of the year for imports again, and then if we don’t have changes in some of these, we’ll run up against that tariff rate quota again by the end of 2025.”

Boetel says the U.S. also set a record all-fresh retail price for beef in the fourth quarter at $8.01 per pound, and consumers were still buying it.  She says consumers also didn’t make any major protein purchasing shifts in 2024.

Audio: Brenda Boetel discusses meat consumption, beef exports and imports with Brownfield’s Larry Lee

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