The Trump administration hit pause on an executive order that would have temporarily suspended tariff-rate quotas on imported beef. The delay comes after a wave of opposition from domestic ranchers, Republican lawmakers, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, all arguing that cheaper imports would undercut American producers already struggling with razor-thin margins.

Beef prices in the US have climbed 16% over the past year. The nation’s cattle herd has shrunk to its smallest