Trump to Sign Orders on Gray Wolf Protections, Beef Labeling to Tackle Prices

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will sign executive orders aimed at lowering high beef prices and supporting domestic cattle ranchers. The planned measures include allowing ranchers to protect their herds from gray wolves and reinstating mandatory country-of-origin labeling for imported beef.

Trump also said he would ease federal restrictions that currently prevent farmers and ranchers from selling meat they have processed themselves. These actions come as retail beef prices have reached record highs this year, driven largely by a historically low cattle supply worsened by drought and wildfires.

The issue of beef labeling has a long history. The U.S. first required origin labels on food in 2009, but Canada and Mexico challenged the rule, arguing it disadvantaged their livestock. In 2015, the World Trade Organization sided with those countries, leading the U.S. to repeal mandatory meat labeling. Currently, companies may voluntarily use a "Product of USA" label only for meat from animals born, raised, and slaughtered in the country.

Ranchers have long pushed for mandatory labeling, saying it would boost domestic producers and offer consumers greater transparency. The announcement follows a recent executive order that temporarily increased imports of lower-tariff beef to reduce prices—a move that drew mixed reactions from producer groups, who felt it could hurt American ranchers. However, they responded more positively to a separate set of actions announced this week by the Department of Agriculture to support the beef sector.

With rising costs ranking as a top voter concern ahead of the November midterm elections, these orders are part of a broader push by the administration to address affordability.