Sheep Tariff Bill: Rep. Amodei introduces bill to impose tariffs on imported lamb
In late January, U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) introduced House Resolution (HR) 7276 in the U.S. House of Representatives to place a 30 percent tariff on sheep and lamb products imported from Australia and New Zealand.
The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Reps. Celeste Maloy and Burgess Owens (both R-UT) and is drawing praise from ranching groups across the U.S. who believe the measure could help stabilize the nation’s sheep industry.
A push for action
Amodei’s tariff proposal follows ongoing concerns from American producers about imported sheep and lamb flooding the domestic market and efforts made through the Protect American Lamb project, an initiative launched in 2023 under the R-CALF USA Sheep Committee.
Through the project, American sheep producers submitted a petition to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative requesting an investigation to determine if imported lamb and mutton are causing serious injury to the domestic sheep industry.
“The petition claims lower-cost imports, mostly from Australia and New Zealand, have captured 74 percent of the domestic lamb and mutton market and have decimated the commercial sheep industry in the U.S.,” reports Jesse Allen in a March 3 American Ag Network article.
Allen goes on to note producers and industry officials believe “America’s decreased lamb production in the face of increased lamb consumption – combined with a dramatic increase in U.S. market share held by imports and a 31 percent surge in the volume of imports from 2018-22 – warranted a careful, probing analysis of the role imported lamb was playing in the alarming contraction of the U.S. sheep industry.”
Those involved in the project also point to structural differences between the involved countries’ production systems, including currency advantages and differences in production standards, which they say give foreign producers an economic edge in U.S. markets.
All of this has caused the number of full-time sheep producers and overall sheep inventory in the U.S. to decline sharply
Allen cites industry estimates which show the U.S. sheep sector has lost more than 63 percent of its full-time sheep ranchers and more than 60 percent of its sheep inventory during this time frame, and more recent data shows this trend continuing, with the latest U.S. Census of Agriculture indicating a loss of more than 12,000 sheep producers and nearly 287,000 sheep between 2017-22.
Leveling the playing field
Introduced on Jan. 30, HR7276 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and will be reviewed by Congressional committees before advancing to the House floor for consideration.
If enacted, the legislation would require the president to impose a 30 percent duty on sheep and lamb products imported from Australia or New Zealand beginning 30 days after the bill becomes law.
The bill broadly defines sheep products to include meat, wool, pelts and other products derived from sheep, while lamb refers specifically to meat produced from sheep not classified as mutton.
Those in favor of the legislation believe it will help offset the economic advantages foreign producers currently hold, including weaker currencies, lower production costs and less restrictive predator control practices.
In a March 3 statement, R-CALF USA Chief Executive Officer Bill Bullard says the proposed tariffs would help restore fairness to the market and support rural economies depending on livestock production.
“Reps. Amodei, Maloy and Owens are standing up for America’s sheep producers with their legislation to level the playing field, which has long been tipped in favor of imports,” he says. “Our domestic sheep industry is incredibly important to the economic viability of rural communities – throughout the West in particular – and without the tariffs included in this bill, the West will continue hollowing out and America’s food security will remain at risk.”
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
