By Patrick Thomas

For months American burger joints have leaned on beef from Brazil to feed their customers. The Trump administration's 50% tariff on Brazilian goods is having them look elsewhere.

U.S. importers will likely look to other cattle-rich countries such as Australia, said Wesley Batista Filho, chief executive of JBS's U.S. business, which processes roughly a quarter of American beef.

The problem, he said, is that Australia and some other beef-exporting countries don't have enough to replace Brazil completely.

Brazil accounts for 27% of U.S. beef imports, the largest share of any country. Ground beef imports from Brazil doubled from the January-to-May period compared to a year ago.

U.S. beef prices have hit record highs in recent months due to a prolonged shortage of cattle on American prairies. Retail ground beef prices were up nearly 12% in July from a year ago.

Meat companies typically blend fattier trimmings from cattle carcasses with leaner beef cuts to create the ideal burger blend. Rising prices combined with tight domestic supplies have made sourcing lean ground beef a particular challenge for restaurants.

Until new supplies are available, the rest of the leaner beef needed for burgers will have to come from what's called the round primal-or the rear leg and rump of a cow-from American livestock. That cut typically goes into steaks, and moving it into ground beef could further constrain supply and push prices up.

"That lean is gonna have to come from somewhere," Batista Filho said. "Things are going to have to shift."

This item is part of a Wall Street Journal live coverage event. The full stream can be found by searching P/WSJL (WSJ Live Coverage).

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 14, 2025 09:51 ET (13:51 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.