US faces smallest cattle herd in 75 years; Trump moves to lower beef prices by easing processing rules.

The US cattle herd is at its smallest in 75 years, causing high beef prices. President Trump announced plans to waive tariffs on imported ground beef for 90 days and is pushing to allow ranchers to process their own meat, aiming to break the dominance of four major meatpacking companies controlling 85% of processing capacity. This move seeks to reduce costs for consumers and give ranchers more control over the supply chain. However, rebuilding the cattle herd will take years, so high prices may persist despite these efforts.