Texas Cattle Ranchers Laud New Ban On Fresh Beef From Brazil

The ban comes less than a year after the USDA reinstated beef trade with Brazil.

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association celebrated the decision. In a statement, it said, "the ban will protect American consumers and ensure we maintain the world's safest beef supply."

"It's not a huge percentage," said Jeff Geider, director of the Institute of Ranch Management at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and a member of the TSCRA. "But I think the concern was that, as we allow more fresh product to enter into the marketplace here in the United States, that that would continue to escalate in terms of tonnage and then potentially have a detrimental impact on the domestic market."

Mark Jones, a political scientist at Rice University, said it also improves the standing of Texas beef.

"It will seed in the mind of consumers that Brazilian beef is perhaps not – and by extension beef from abroad – is not of high quality and therefore should be avoided," he said.

And what does this mean for the consumer?

Jones said if the ban lasts, it could lead to a small increase in beef prices.