Market news
Know the market before you buy.
October 2026 Market Report: Border Ports Reopen, Duty-Free Lean Trim, and Pork Piles Up in Freezers
Santa Teresa reopened to Mexican cattle, 300,000 metric tons of duty-free lean beef trimmings opened for import, pork stocks ran 12% above a year ago, and bird flu returned to turkey flocks ahead of Thanksgiving.
October 2, 2026
September 2026 Market Report: Packers Cut Capacity as the Border Starts to Reopen
Tyson is closing two beef plants and selling a third, July feedlot placements hit a record low, Mexican cattle crossed at Douglas for the first time since the screwworm closure, and the DOJ widened its beef-price probe to eight retailers.
September 4, 2026
August 2026 Market Report: Section 122 Expires, New Section 301 Tariffs Arrive, and Beef Is Exempt
On July 24 the Section 122 tariff expired and new 10–12.5% Section 301 tariffs took effect on 60 economies, plus 25% on Brazil. Beef is exempt from both; pork, poultry and seafood are not. The mid-year cattle count hints at herd rebuilding.
August 5, 2026
July 2026 Market Report: Screwworm Cases Spread, Mexico Bans U.S. Livestock, and the Tariff Clock Runs Down
Five U.S. screwworm cases led Mexico to suspend most U.S. live-animal imports. Boxed beef softened into July 4 as the Choice/Select spread nearly doubled, and USTR proposed the Section 301 tariffs set to replace Section 122 on July 24.
July 6, 2026
June 2026 Market Report: Screwworm Reaches Texas as Retail Beef Sets New Records
USDA confirmed the first U.S. livestock case of New World screwworm in a Texas calf, cattle futures whipsawed, retail ground beef hit a record $6.90/lb, and USDA's first 2027 outlook shows even less beef and higher cattle prices.
June 5, 2026
May 2026 Market Report: Record Cattle Prices, a Vanishing Grade Spread, and Screwworm Creeps Closer
Fed cattle set all-time records and cash traded at $250 for the first time, the Choice/Select spread shrank to under $1, beef cow slaughter fell to its slowest pace in years, and screwworm was found about 60 miles from the Texas border.
May 5, 2026
April 2026 Market Report: Choice Cutout Breaks $400 as Select Grows Scarce
The Choice cutout topped $400/cwt in mid-March, Select grading fell to a record low and briefly priced above Choice, retail beef ran 14–16% above a year ago, and record litters kept pork supply steady despite the smallest breeding herd since 2014.
April 6, 2026
March 2026 Market Report: Tariffs, Trade Shifts, and the Supreme Court Ruling Reshaping the U.S. Meat Industry
A landmark Supreme Court ruling, record-high beef prices, shifting global trade patterns, and new tariff policies are converging to reshape the U.S. meat industry in early 2026. Here is what buyers, sellers, and traders need to know.
March 5, 2026
Want a market read on your next buy?
Our brokers trade these markets every day — ask us.