# Understanding the Value of Beef Imports | Beef Checkoff

> The US Beef Checkoff explains that the US imports beef, mainly lean trim from Australia and New Zealand, to meet domestic demand. Importers pay a $1-per-head equivalent fee that added about $7.4 million a year to the checkoff budget for FY2015-2017. Lean trim is in short supply as US cow slaughter has declined.

- Date: 2018-12-06 · published 2018-12-06T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/61525-understanding-the-value-of-beef-imports-beef-checkoff
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Persistent lean trim shortages support import demand and underpin the price of imported lean beef relative to domestic fed-cattle supply.

## Read by commodity

- LCATTLE: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2022-11-01 | [Beef Imports and the Beef Checkoff \| Beef Checkoff](https://feedsoft.ai/events/38611-beef-imports-and-the-beef-checkoff-beef-checkoff.md) | +2.1% | +3.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2020-06-06 | [Understanding beef imports, exports](https://feedsoft.ai/events/52578-understanding-beef-imports-exports.md) | -0.3% | -6.5% |
| LCATTLE | 2019-07-30 | [China lifts ban on beef imports \| SAnews](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58032-china-lifts-ban-on-beef-imports-sanews.md) | -0.3% | -4.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-05-19 | [Mexico seeks to offset screwworm impact by increasing US beef exports](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19200-mexico-seeks-to-offset-screwworm-impact-by-increasing-us-beef-exports.md) | -1.3% | -1.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2022-10-03 | [Cow-calf Corner: The importance of beef trade to the cattle industry  - Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39082-cow-calf-corner-the-importance-of-beef-trade-to-the-cattle-industry-texas-and.md) | +0.7% | +4.2% |

## Sources

- beefboard.org: https://www.beefboard.org/2018/12/06/understanding-the-value-of-beef-imports/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.