A pound of ground beef cost an average of $6.79 in September 2026, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That is down 13 cents from August but still about 7% above the $6.32 of a year earlier. The higher price comes even as the administration plans to import 300,000 metric tons of beef at a reduced tariff rate.
What Changed and Why
President Trump signed a proclamation in August 2026 to temporarily increase the beef supply. It allows 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings to be imported at a reduced tariff rate over 90 days, from September through November, Fortune reported. On Truth Social, Trump wrote that the deal ‘will reduce prices for Americans.’
As of Oct. 19, 2026, the US had imported just 59,423 metric tons, or 20% of the target, according to US Customs and Border Protection data cited by Fortune.
Derrell Peel, an Oklahoma State University professor of agribusiness specializing in livestock, told Fortune that the assumption that more supply alone would lower prices runs into a beef industry that is ‘much more complex than that.’ Fortune also reported that part of the reason shoppers are not seeing a difference is the type of beef being imported.
Follow the Money
Ground beef averaged $6.79 a pound in September 2026, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show. That is down from $6.92 in August and up from $6.32 a year earlier, a year-over-year increase of about 7%.
Fortune attributed that increase to persistently high demand and dwindling herd sizes. It reported that the rise has far outpaced the 2.5% to 2.9% increase in overall US grocery prices. For shoppers, beef is one of the items pushing the grocery bill up faster than the average.
Our Math: The Grocery Bill Gap
Take a household that buys two pounds of ground beef a week:
At September’s average of $6.79 a pound, two pounds cost $13.58 a week.
At last year’s average of $6.32 a pound, the same two pounds cost $12.64.
The gap is 94 cents a week.
Ninety-four cents times 52 weeks is about $48.88 more a year for the same amount of beef.
This is an illustration built from BLS’s dated price averages, not a projection. The monthly figures show a 13-cent drop from August to September. Beef still costs well more than it did a year ago, and imports so far are a fifth of the planned volume.
This Week and What to Watch
Compare the ground beef line on your grocery receipt with the BLS average price figures. Also watch US Customs and Border Protection import data to see whether tariff-reduced shipments pick up before the program window closes in November.
The next BLS price reading will show whether the August-to-September dip continues. The White House did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
Next in the Brief: If herd sizes keep shrinking, what happens to beef prices once the import window closes in November?
Disclaimer: This analysis is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice.
