Tariffs

Trump's Beef Tariff Cut Accidentally Makes the Case for Free Trade

As the president liberalized the market for beef, he also imposed new 50 percent tariffs on some $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Americans will suffer.

Billy Binion | 9.3.2026 5:00 PM

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(Illustration: Midjourney)

I will never understand why President Donald Trump, brought back to office partly in response to a sharp rise in prices during former President Joe Biden's interlude, would pursue the expensive tariff policy we've been subjected to since the beginning of 2025. And yet here we are, with another reason to be unhappy about inflation and the cost of living.

Sadly, the administration's response to the pressure is as erratic as its tariff policy.

On one hand, Trump lowered tariffs to bring down the price of beef, effective this week. The White House acknowledged the link between tariffs and higher prices by explaining that the cost of beef has risen "unreasonably" and that the remedy is to temporarily import more of it at a lower tariff rate. Experts expect the 300,000 metric tons of relief to come largely from South America.

Apparently, though, this economic lesson has not traveled very far. As Trump liberalized the market........

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