Why Did Trump Order Up 660 Million Pounds of Mystery Meat?
nytimes.com/2026/09/07/opinion/trump-meat-import.…
Sept. 7, 2026
CBy Eric Schlosser
Eric Schlosser is the author of “Fast Food Nation.”
Leer en español
If you buy a T-shirt at Gap, it will have a label that tells you where it was made. That’s federal law.
The same is true for automobiles, appliances, television sets, every fresh or frozen fruit and vegetable sold at the supermarket.
Beef and pork are notable exceptions to these laws. And that may help to explain why President Trump signed a proclamation last month that will allow the duty-free importation of about 660 million pounds of inexpensive beef.
If American consumers knew where that beef was coming from, they might not want to eat it.
The cuts of meat covered by Mr. Trump’s proclamation aren’t fresh sirloins, rib-eyes and filets. They’re lean beef trimmings that will be added to fattier American cuts to make ground beef. They’re small chunks of frozen meat that could …More