- Executive Order (EO) 14425, “Supporting America’s Ranchers” was issued on September 4, 2026, and orders several agency reviews which are intended to develop laws and policies to help American ranchers. The EO notes that the national beef herd is at a 75-year low and that consumer demand for beef has grown by almost 10% over the past decade.
- The EO orders the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), to “review all statutory and regulatory authorities that may permit the establishment of mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef products” within 90 days. It also provides that regulations may be issued or amended to require mandatory beef country-of-origin labeling consistent with the resulting report, or else that legislative recommendations regarding such labeling be developed. Mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef was repealed in 2015 after the World Trade Organization (WTO) determined that such labeling violated US WTO obligations.
- Among other things, the EO also more broadly orders the Secretary of the Interior, the USTR, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to submit a report to the President that assesses all agency actions “affecting ranchers and that provides recommendations for action to promote financial viability and enhanced market access for American ranchers.”
- Keller and Heckman will monitor and report on proposed changes to mandatory country-of-origin labeling.
