Live cattle prices rose by 45 cents to $1.55 per hundredweight on Monday. February live cattle had no deliveries on the first notice day. Last week’s cash trade prices ranged from $240 to $244 in the northern U.S. and from $242 to $245 in the south. Feeder cattle futures also increased, with the CME Feeder Cattle Index up 19 cents to $374.47. The Oklahoma City feeder cattle auction saw an estimated 9,500 head sold, with feeder steers generally up $5 and heifers rising between $5 to $15.
On February 23, President Trump signed an executive order increasing the tariff rate quota (TRQ) on beef imports from Argentina by 80,000 metric tons. This change comes ahead of an expected average monthly import of 151,666 metric tons of beef from all sources in 2025.
USDA reported that federally inspected cattle slaughter was estimated at 107,000 head on Monday, which is 1,000 head less than the previous week but 10,255 head more than the same week last year. Monday’s wholesale boxed beef prices showed mixed results; choice boxes decreased by $1.57 to $367.76, while select boxes rose by 82 cents to $365.35.
