Trump Signs Executive Orders Attempting to Rebuild Trust With Cattle Producers

In a policy shift aimed directly at the U.S. cattle industry, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, designed to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd. These actions target four critical operational areas: reducing predator threats, pursuing mandatory country-of-origin labeling (mCOOL), strengthening packer competition and expanding grazing opportunities.

According to the USDA press release, these actions are designed to defend a sector currently weathering some of its tightest inventory margins on record: “Today’s actions are timely, as the U.S. maintains the smallest herd since the 1950s, and will continue to build on the turnaround we are seeing in the number of heifers being retained.”

At a White House event surrounded by farmers and ranchers, Trump declared, “For the first-time ever, we’re going to give farmers and ranchers the right to process their own food... We’re creating a program where small and medium-sized and large ranchers can sell their products directly to consumers so that they don’t have to go through the big four processes and middlemen.”

Just a week prior, President Trump signed a highly controversial proclamation temporarily lifting tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of imported foreign lean beef trimmings. This heavily angered cattle producers, who warned it would undercut U.S. producers.

Rebuilding the Great American Cattle Herd

A central theme of the administration’s new push is a direct rejection of previous environmental policies.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins explains there is a sharp contrast between current initiatives and previous federal directives. She notes, “While the Biden administration chose to villainize ranching and the rural way of life under the guise of radical environmental mandates, the Trump Administration continues to focus on rebuilding the great American cattle herd. For the past 19 months, USDA has worked tirelessly to defend and promote our nation’s ranchers. Through our beef plan and the ranchers first initiative we are working to continue increasing our nation’s heifer retention rate.”

Predator Relief: Gray Wolves Listed for Delisting Review

For ranchers in the West and Great Lakes regions, conflict with federally protected wolves has long been an expensive, frustrating battle. Under the first executive order, the administration is taking direct aim at these predators.

• The Action: The order directs the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate whether gray wolves and Mexican gray wolves meet the criteria to be officially delisted or downlisted under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Additionally, USDA and the Department of the Interior must update standards to pay ranchers 100% of market value for livestock losses due to predation and ease the regulatory red tape required to authorize lethal removal of problem wolves.
• The President’s Take: Reflecting on the frustration of ranchers unable to defend their livelihoods, Trump says, “And nobody’s allowed you. You watch them go right through your herd and you’re not allowed and they’re violent, right? It’s a violent situation. Cost people millions and millions of dollars and you... you’re not allowed to protect yourself... So, how do you like the idea that I’m letting you do that?”

While the order represents a major victory, the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) urges caution, noting that previous administrative delisting efforts have historically been tied up by activist lawsuits. USCA President Justin Tupper says, “The litigation pool on wolves is deep, and past delisting efforts have been quickly halted by injunctions. Producers who have dealt with wolves for a long time deserve more than policy swings.”

Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling Under Review

Under current rules, only animals born, raised and processed entirely in the U.S. can use the voluntary “Product of USA” label. Today’s executive order goes a step further, laying the groundwork to make origin labeling mandatory once again.

• The Action: The executive order directs USDA, in consultation with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), to review its legal authorities to implement mandatory country-of-origin labeling (mCOOL) for all beef products through new regulations and legislative proposals.
• The Debate: This move has reignited a fierce debate. Tupper strongly backs the move saying, “U.S. consumers deserve to know where their beef comes from, and we support a WTO-compliant framework that requires all beef — domestic and imported — to be accurately labeled.” Conversely, the Meat Institute strongly opposes the mandate, warning it would cost "$721 million in first-year implementation costs and add an estimated $835 million annually to consumers’ beef purchases.”
  In a press release the Meat Institute says it: “Appreciates the Administration’s continued focus on strengthening the U.S. beef supply chain and exploring ways to bring beef prices down for consumers. However, the President’s Executive Order to explore implementation of mCOOL raises concerns about revisiting a failed policy that the United States has already tried and that Congress ultimately repealed in 2015. We should allow the free market to work, rather than have the government mandate how beef must be marketed to consumers.”
  The Meat Institute suggests the voluntary “Product of USA” label should be given a chance to succeed before Congress repeats a burdensome and costly regulatory mistake.

Targeting Packer Concentration, Expanding Local Processing

Saying 85% of U.S. cattle slaughter is controlled by just four packers, the second Executive Order seeks to inject competition back into the marketplace.

• The Action: The order directs USDA to prioritize investigations into anti-competitive practices under the Packers and Stockyards Act, increase enforcement staffing, and coordinate closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
• Alternative Markets: To help ranchers bypass the big packers entirely, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is directed to expand the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program, allowing more state-inspected meat to cross state lines. It also establishes a “one-stop shop” and dedicated technical assistance program to help small and very small local processors cut through red tape.
• The Debate: Independent industry data compiled by Sterling Marketing Inc. shows their actual harvest share has steadily dropped to 75.8% today, down from 81.7% in 2015. Not everyone in the cattle industry agrees corporate concentration equates to anticompetitive behavior. John Nalivka, president of Sterling Marketing, says consolidation largely reflects economics and efficiency within the packing sector. He notes Sterling Marketing’s profit tracker shows beef packers have actually been in the red losing $100 to $150 per head for more than a year. He argues producers underestimate how critical the big plants are to the supply chain. “The only thing worse than having too few packers,” Nalivka stresses, “is having no packers.”

Expanding Grazing and Launching Remote Grading

Coinciding with the executive orders, Rollins announced a wave of updates to USDA’s ongoing beef plan:

• More Grazing Land: USDA will enroll nearly 1 million new acres in Grasslands CRP, providing rental payments and cost-share assistance to keep rangeland active for grazing.
• Modernizing Beef Grading: USDA will work to double the size of the AMS Remote Grading Program, which allows smaller, local plants to use simple technology (like smartphones) to have USDA carcasses graded offsite, saving thousands in logistics.
• Combatting “Lawfare": USDA is refocusing its dedicated agricultural strike force to legally defend family ranches against abusive eminent domain claims and regulatory overreach.
• LFP Drought Thresholds Lowered: The threshold for qualifying for Livestock Forage Program (LFP) payments has been lowered, allowing drought-stricken operators to access federal support significantly faster.

Mixed Industry Reactions: Optimism vs. Market Realities

In response to Friday’s announcements, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) expressed frustration that the administration celebrated falling consumer beef prices while cattlemen are fighting high overhead. “It was disappointing to see the President celebrate the idea of beef prices declining while cow-calf producers have lost tens of millions of dollars in the past few weeks due to the administration’s actions.”

Ranchers are also grappling with the fallout of high input costs and record imports.

“Today’s announcement gives a lot of direction, and we thank President Trump and Secretary Rollins for highlighting these priorities,” Tupper summarizes. “The lasting impact will be decided by the agencies as they do their review and Congress, who can take legislative action to support these moves. Our markets have been shaken by imports, and many producers are cautious on what comes next. We will keep pushing to ensure these initiatives become long-term solutions — not short-term promises — for U.S. cattle producers and American consumers.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Beef Producers

Based on the USDA press release, here are answers to some top of mind questions regarding the announcements on Friday:

• How do I qualify for predator loss compensation?
  Under the updated USDA guidelines, compensation for cattle lost to ESA-protected predators is set at 100% of market value. Additionally, payments for unborn livestock lost to predation have been increased to 85% of the lowest non-adult weight class. Contact your local APHIS Wildlife Services or FSA office to file a claim.
  
• Can state-inspected beef cross state lines?
  Yes. Under the newly expanded Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) and Talmadge-Aiken programs, USDA is making it easier for eligible state-inspected processing facilities to ship and sell beef across state lines, expanding market options for regional cattle producers.
  
• What is the BRAND endorsement?
  The Beef Retention and National Development (BRAND) endorsement is a new risk management tool integrated into Livestock Risk Protection (LRP). It is designed to provide financial protection and incentives specifically for producers retaining heifers to rebuild their herds.
  
• How does the remote grading program work?
  The AMS Remote Grading Program allows smaller, regional processors to use simple smartphone technology to submit images of beef carcasses to USDA graders offsite. This eliminates the high cost of hosting an on-site federal grader, making official USDA grading accessible to smaller operations.

What’s Next?

These executive orders represent a massive, immediate push to reform federal agricultural rules. However, because key aspects —such as permanent mCOOL rules and long-term funding — must eventually go through Congress, the upcoming Farm Bill will be the ultimate battleground for making these “Ranchers First” initiatives permanent.

Your Next Reads:

• Voluntary vs. Mandatory Labeling: Which One Wins at the Meat Case?
• Are Beef Prices Too High? Pound for Pound, Ground Beef is Still a Bargain
• Rebuilding the Herd or Agitating the Market? Analysts Urge Caution on USDA’s “Ranchers First” Rollout
• JBS Ties to Trump’s Beef Import Decision Draw Sharper Scrutiny After Oval Office Meeting Revealed
• Ranchers First Initiative Aimed at Herd Rebuilding, Processing and Risk Management