USTR Takes Measured Approach On Nicaragua

The US Trade Representative recently announced that the US will impose tariffs on all imported Nicaraguan goods that are not originating under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, due to a Section 301 investigation of Nicaragua's labor practices. The tariff will initially be set at zero, but is set to increase to 10% in 2027 and to 15% in 2028. It's a measured approach that won't interrupt trade with a growing market for US pork, according to US Meat Export Federation Central America Representative Lucia Ruano...

Op-Ed by Ambassador Jamieson Greer: The Year of the Tariff

WASHINGTON – United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer published an op-ed in The Financial Times explaining how President Trump’s trade program is accelerating America’s re-industrialization, incentivizing domestic production with improved market access for US exports.

The full text of the op-ed is below:

The year 2025 will be remembered as the year of the tariff, regardless of one’s economic ideology. International trade is neither good nor bad — it just is. The real question is whether trade patterns serve the national interest...

China to Impose Beef Safeguards: Details Due December 30

On December 30, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) is expected to announce the final outcome of its global safeguards investigation into beef imports, with a likely implementation date of January 1, 2026, the Meat Industry Association (MIA) said in a circular. MIA, the industry association from New Zealand, has been monitoring the situation and sent out a press release to update market participants.

The measure would create country-specific tariff-rate quotas for major exporters to China allocated on a three-year reference period...

ANALYSIS: 2025 US Steer & Heifer Select Grading Percentage is at Historic Lows

US Select grading percentages have dropped to record lows in 2025, highlighting a notable shift in cattle quality across the fed supply base. Throughout the year, Select grading has remained well below historical norms, hitting lows around 10.5% late in the year. 

This represents a sharp departure from prior years, when Select grades often held in the mid-teens or higher during seasonal peaks. The sustained decline reflects fewer cattle falling short of Choice specifications. Several structural factors are driving this trend: extended...

ANALYSIS: Early December US Beef Imports from Mexico Higher

US beef imports from Mexico remained active into year end, even as Mexican export prices continued to move higher amid limited production availability, increased production costs, and ongoing protocols related to New World Screwworm controls. Despite the incremental price environment for Mexican material, import volumes remained firm as US buyers focused on maintaining product availability for year-end needs.

Six Individuals Appointed to NPB Board of Directors

The National Pork Board (NPB) welcomes five appointees to serve a three-year term ending in June 2028, and one appointee to serve a two-year term ending in June 2027.

Congratulations to the following producer leaders:

• Chad Groves, Kansas
• Jessica Stevens, Ohio
• Paul Ayers, Illinois
• Dwight Mogler, Iowa
• John Rauser, Montana
• Jeremy Burkett, Wyoming (Two-Year Term)

The National Pork Board is comprised of 15 pork producers or importers, nominated by Pork Act Delegates at the National Pork Forum and appointed by the U.S...

Sugar Foods Expands National Footprint with New Production and Distribution Facility in Indiana

Sugar Foods, a privately held, customer-centric food manufacturer serving foodservice, retail and private label customers across North America, announced it has secured a 617,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art production and distribution facility in Whiteland, Indiana. The new facility expands Sugar Foods’ national footprint and positions the company for continued growth with customers throughout the United States and beyond.

“This investment in Whiteland is an important milestone in Sugar Foods’ growth story,” said Andrea Brule, President and Chief Executive Officer...

PuraVida Foods Expands KidsLife™ Line with New Disney and Pixar-Themed Frozen Meals

PuraVida Foods, the company redefining frozen food through flavor and technology, announced today an exciting new chapter for its KidsLife™ brand: a line of nutritious, chef-crafted frozen meals featuring select Disney and Pixar characters. Launching this month, the collection will debut exclusively with Sprouts Farmers Market nationwide beginning December 22 highlighting favorites from Disney’s Frozen, Disney’s Moana, Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, Disney’s Mickey Mouse & Friends, and Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story, bringing a fresh mix of innovation and fun to family...

Expana Publication Schedule for the 2025 Holiday Period

Expana will be observing several holidays which will impact the publication of some Expana Benchmark Prices. Daily assessments falling on these dates will not be published, while weekly assessments falling on these dates will be assessed on the last working day before these dates.

Expana's Market Insights and Market Updates will be suspended from Monday, December 22, 2024, to Friday, January 2, 2025, inclusive. Normal publishing schedules will resume on Monday, January 5, 2025.

See the publication schedule for the 2025 Holiday Period...

ANALYSIS: UK Turkey Prices Surge Amid Tight Supply and Avian Influenza Pressures

The Expana price for turkey in the UK rose to £9.40/kg on 10 December 2025, representing a year-over-year (YOY) increase of 30.56%, driven by a combination of strong seasonal demand and constrained supply. Supply tightness has been exacerbated by turkey farm and processing plant closures in 2024 and early 2025, as rising costs and sustained unprofitability forced some operators to exit the market...

ANALYSIS: December Pork Cutout Reaches Record Level on Tight Supply, Holiday Demand

The Expana Pork Carcass Cutout value is tracking at a record high for December based on data dating to 2003. The current weekly value, which has followed a bullish trend throughout December, is 4.2% above the same time last year and 22.1% higher than the all-time average back to 2003.

The total cutout had been on a gradual decline since early September, falling 17.8% through the third week of November, before values began to rebound into December as supply...

ANALYSIS: US Cage-Free Market Weakens Further Heading into Christmas 

The cage-free market continues to soften as the industry moves closer to the Christmas holiday. Values have declined consistently in December, with cumulative losses now totaling $1.06/dozen, bringing the Rest-of-Market Cage-Free EBP down to $1.60/dozen. While it is not uncommon to see some seasonal easing as the peak holiday period concludes, this year’s pattern has been notably different. Ongoing repopulation efforts and persistent sub-par demand prevented any meaningful pre-holiday lift from materializing in the first...

Natural Grocers Launches Grass-Fed Beef Sticks and Bites

Natural Grocers has expanded its private label lineup by adding new products: Natural Grocers Brand Beef Sticks and Bites. This addition increases the range of branded products to over 900 items.

The new beef sticks and bites are made with 100% grass-fed beef. They are hand-cut, hand-packed, and available in two flavors: Original and Jalapeño. The beef sticks are packaged in 1-ounce packets, while the bites come in 4-ounce pouches.

"Our house brand is more than just a label; it's a reflection of our...

Meat & Poultry Processors Contribute $57.3 Billion to US Economy & Provide 584,000 Jobs

The Meat Institute today released an economic study that found the meat and poultry processing industry contributes $57.3 billion to the US economy and provides 584,000 jobs. The entire meat and poultry industry, including livestock production, animal feed, equipment manufacturing, transportation and more contributes $347.7 billion in value to the nation, supporting 3.2 million jobs.

“The meat and poultry industry is a critical and growing part of the US economy, and one that has outsized importance to rural economies,” said Meat...

NCBA Congratulates USTR, USDA Officials on Confirmation

Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association congratulated two Trump administration officials on receiving Senate confirmation, Dr. Julie Callahan to serve as Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Dr. Mindy Brashears to serve as Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“NCBA congratulates Dr. Julie Callahan on her confirmation as Chief Agricultural Negotiator,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus. “President Trump has made it a priority to sign new trade deals and open new markets to high-quality American beef. We...

Hormel Foods Welcome Jason Levine to Newly Created CMO Role

Hormel Foods has announced the appointment of seasoned industry leader, Jason Levine, to a newly created, enterprise-wide Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role.

"We're excited to have Jason join us and take on this new role—an important step in advancing our marketing capabilities and driving growth across all segments of our business," said John Ghingo, president of Hormel Foods. "Jason brings deep expertise in global brand building, innovation, and digital strategy across well-known brands, and his leadership will help us...

Rollins, Chavez-DeRemer Pledge New Strategies to Reduce Welfare and Expand Work Opportunities

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (PDF, 258 KB) to fulfill common goals of helping low-income workers find sustainable employment.

“President Trump’s entire cabinet is working everyday to ensure hardworking Americans can enter the workforce – and have the skills necessary to succeed in our booming economy,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “Connecting low-income Americans, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, to education and employment opportunities is so important. This MOU signifies how our two agencies can further collaborate and use one...

ANALYSIS: Q4 Turkey Eggs in Incubators Fall to Record Low of 74 Million

Turkey production potential heading into 2026 remains positioned at an all-time low. The number of eggs in incubators during Q4 of 2025 has equaled approximately 74.0 million, 0.6% lower than that of 2024 which held the previous record low. This is 5.6% lower than the 5-year average during Q4. The production of hatching eggs is limited by the number of breeder turkeys, large numbers of which have been lost to HPAI. In Q4 alone, 110,500 breeder hens were destroyed due...

USMEF Statement on Dr. Julie Callahan's Confirmation as USTR's Chief Ag Negotiator

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Dr. Julie Callahan to serve as chief agricultural negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom issued the following statement:

Julie Callahan brings an unparalleled level of knowledge, experience and dedication to this position and USMEF congratulates Dr. Callahan on her confirmation by the U.S. Senate. This is an especially critical time for agricultural trade, with ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and many key trading partners. USMEF thanks the U.S. Senate for its timely confirmation of a proven leader who is a tireless advocate for U.S. agriculture...

FMI Responds to November CPI Showing Continued Grocery Price Strain

The Food Industry Association (FMI) released a statement regarding the November Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers issued by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The report, released earlier today, shows a 1.9% increase in food-at-home prices over the past 12 months.

FMI Vice President of Tax, Trade, Sustainability and Policy Development Andy Harig said the CPI numbers underscore the continued challenges grocery shoppers must navigate to get the most out of their grocery dollar. "Nevertheless, they remain resilient and savvy in the...

ANALYSIS: Broiler Hatch Continues to Signal Production Expansion

Closely aligned with the chicken industry’s push for higher hatchery output, the latest USDA Broiler Hatchery Report reflects modest, yet meaningful, gains in both egg sets and chick placements. For the week ending December 13, broiler-type eggs set increased 1.2% year over year (YoY), reaching 251.4 million head. This represents not only a seasonal weekly high, but also a continuation of the steady YoY growth trend observed throughout 2025, interrupted only briefly by weekly declines in late July and early October.

Chick placements followed a similarly elevated trajectory...

Chipotle Bets on the Protein Boom With Its First-Ever High-Protein Menu

Chipotle Mexican Grill is leaning into America’s protein obsession with the launch of its first-ever High Protein Menu, set to roll out across the United States and Canada next week on Tuesday, December 23.

The new lineup targets growing demand for convenient, protein-focused meals and snacks, highlighted by a High Protein Cup that packs 32 grams of protein from Adobo Chicken into a snackable portion.

In the US, prices start at $3.50 for a Single Chicken Taco at select locations, while the national weighted average price of a High Protein Cup of Adobo Chicken is $3.82...

Advancing US Leadership in Protein Innovation with the PROTEIN Act

Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) has introduced the PROTEIN Act to bolster US leadership in protein innovation amid rising global meat demand expected to double by 2050. The act addresses the US's lag in investment compared to other nations and aims to diversify protein sources to strengthen food security, stimulate economic growth, and tackle climate challenges.

The PROTEIN Act will support US farmers and expand domestic capacity via research centers, grant programs, and workforce development initiatives.

California, leading with over 150 companies, holds substantial...

A Record 159 Million Consumers Expected to Shop on Super Saturday

An estimated 158.9 million consumers plan to shop on the last Saturday before Christmas, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The figure is up from 157.2 million shoppers last year and surpasses the previous record of 158.5 million in 2022.

“As the final Saturday before Dec. 25, Super Saturday is a significant shopping event for both consumers and retailers,” NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen said. “This year’s event falls only five days before the Christmas holiday, and...

Global Grain Production to Ease in 2026/27, Says Expana

Global grain markets are preparing for a production decline in the 2026/27 marketing year, despite forecasts showing output will remain at historically high levels, according to new market analysis by Expana's crop analysis team. 

World wheat production in 2026/27 is forecast to be "smaller, mainly because yields are set to return closer to average in the main producer countries and because growing areas for wheat are expected to contract slightly in the US, China, and Argentina," Expana's analysts said

Researchers Explore mRNA Vaccine Technology for Protection Against Poultry Diseases

USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a research project focused on creating a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine platform for two major poultry viruses: infectious bronchitis virus and infectious laryngotracheitis virus. The research is part of the Association’s comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing and is made possible in part through proceeds from the International Poultry Expo, part of the International Production & Processing Expo...

Foodservice Finds Momentum This Holiday Season Amid Shifting Consumer Spending

As the holidays approach and the year winds down, the foodservice industry competes with retail on how consumers stretch their dollars during "the most wonderful time of the year."

CNBC recently reported that, based on restaurant purchasing data, consumers continue to dine out, but many are opting for appetizer items instead of entrée menu options.

Despite the challenges of disease, supply issues, and rising costs, the American foodservice industry remains resilient and continues to find ways to tap into consumer spending this December, even as some consumers scale back.

The Retail Rundown: Holiday Demand Builds, Pork Steps Into the Spotlight

With just over a week remaining until Christmas, supermarket circulars are serving as the hub for holiday party planning. Most seasonal food shopping is expected to be concentrated this week, with fresh meat and deli items leading the charge.

Store traffic is poised to increase as retailers vie aggressively for holiday dollars in an increasingly competitive retail environment heading into 2026.

Pork took the top spot in this week’s protein features, fueled by a spike in holiday ham promotions. Pork accounted for 30% of total...

FSIS Announce a Recall of 62,550 Pounds of Chicken Products 

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall from Suzanna's Kitchen of approximately 62,550 pounds of fully coolked, bone-in chicken products.

The recalled items included in this announcement come in 18-lb. cases which contain four units of “FULLY COOKED BREADED CHICKEN PORTIONS,”. It has case code “P-1380 126237 B30851 23:11 K04” printed on the side of the packaging along with the USDA mark of inspection and establishment number P-1380.

This item was produced on...

Expana Publication Schedule For the Veteran’s Day Holiday

Expana will be observing the Veteran’s Day holiday on Tuesday, November 11, which will impact the publication of some Expana Benchmark Prices. All US offices will be closed on the day; daily reports (red meat, poultry, eggs) will not be published, and the following weekly and biweekly reports will be impacted:

Veal, US, will be published on Monday, November 10

Grains and Oilseeds, US, will be published on Monday, November 10

Seafood, US and EU Markets, will be published on Wednesday, November 12...

The New "Coke of America”? 

Call it bipartisan, call it good taste... US President Donald Trump’s latest truth may be exciting nostalgic beverage enthusiasts from left, to center, and right. The President is calling for cane sugar in US Coke cans and bottles going forward. 

“I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,” wrote Trump. “I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!”