As trade tensions rise and tariffs become central in negotiations, American meat exports are increasingly in the news. But while tariffs may be headline-grabbing, they can distract from a deeper issue: many countries simply don’t want U.S. meat because of how it’s produced.
Nations like those in the European Union and Australia have placed restrictions on imports of American beef, pork, and poultry. This isn’t to hurt U.S. trade, but instead the result of serious (and legitimate) concerns over animal welfare, food safety, and the widespread use of drugs in the food supply.
Tariffs are taxes on imports that are often used to protect domestic industries or as leverage for trade deals. A 10 percent tariff on imported pork, for example, could raise the price of U.S. pork by (at least) as much.
Often, people think of tariffs as being for building materials like lumber and steel or more advanced hardware like semiconductors. However, food products, including meat and dairy, also have a history of having tariffs placed on them. In fact, farmers have been bailed out by the federal government in the past precisely because of the economic impact of tariffs. While tariffs do affect the global meat trade, they don’t fully explain the resistance to American meat abroad. Many countries object not just to the price of American meat but to how it’s made.
One of the most contentious issues in U.S. meat exports is the routine use of growth-promoting drugs and antibiotics in factory farming. Consider ractopamine, a feed additive given to pigs and cows to promote muscle growth. This substance is banned in over 160 countries, including those in the EU, China, and Russia, due to concerns over human health and animal welfare. Yet it’s still permitted in the U.S., where it’s widely used in industrial hog and cattle operations.
Similarly, monensin, another common drug used in American beef production, is administered to prevent disease and increase weight gain, especially important in overcrowded, unsanitary factory farm conditions.
The EU has long imposed bans on U.S. beef treated with growth promoters, and it has added restrictions on poultry imports due to unhygienic methods and the overuse of chemical rinses to kill bacteria (practices that are heavily restricted in Europe).
Rather than focusing solely on trade policy, the U.S. should look inward. Citizens around the world are demanding higher animal welfare standards, transparency, and a shift away from routine drug use in meat production. If the U.S. wants to increase meat exports and compete in the global market, the solution isn’t mere trade pressure. It’s reforming the factory farming system itself: less confinement, more genetically healthy animals, and a meaningful commitment to public health.