US opens a temporary 300,000 tonne beef quota in three tranches
The United States has opened a temporary 300,000 metric tonne tariff-rate quota expansion for imported lean beef trimmings, administered in three monthly tranches from 1 September 2026 through 30 November 2026. The move, authorised by Presidential Proclamation 11059 and published in the Federal Register on 31 August 2026 (91 FR 55989, document 2026-17842), waives the out-of-quota tariff on qualifying trimmings on a first-come, first-served basis as each tranche opens. US Customs and Border Protection confirmed Tranche 1 is live via Quota Bulletin QB-26-230, effective 1 September 2026. This is not a permanent change to the beef tariff-rate quota structure: the proclamation frames it as a temporary supply measure tied to elevated domestic beef prices, and it expires once the third tranche closes or fills, whichever comes first.
Key facts
- Proclamation 11059 (91 FR 55989) temporarily waives out-of-quota tariffs on 300,000 MT of lean beef trimmings, split into three 100,000 MT tranches.
- Tranche 1 opened 1 September 2026 per CBP Quota Bulletin QB-26-230; tranche 2 runs 1-30 October and tranche 3 runs 31 October to 30 November 2026, both dates set directly in the proclamation text.
- Only four HTS statistical reporting numbers qualify: 0201.30.5091, 0201.30.5097, 0202.30.5091 and 0202.30.5097, covering lean trimmings for grinding, not beef cuts generally.
What qualifies, and what does not
The waiver applies only to lean beef trimmings classifiable under four HTSUS statistical reporting numbers: 0201.30.5091, 0201.30.5097, 0202.30.5091 and 0202.30.5097. These cover fresh, chilled or frozen boneless beef trimmings destined primarily for grinding, not beef cuts in general. Entries must carry the prefix 9903.54.02 to claim in-quota treatment. Brokers filing entries against other beef HTS codes, including primal or sub-primal cuts, steaks, or bone-in product, get no benefit from this proclamation.
The proclamation builds on an earlier, narrower action: Proclamation 11010, issued in February 2026, raised Argentina's lean beef trimmings quota by 80,000 MT for calendar year 2026. Proclamation 11059 is broader, opening the additional 300,000 MT to imports from any qualifying origin rather than one country.
The three tranches and their dates
Each tranche covers 100,000 MT and is administered first-come, first-served within its window. Tranche 1 opened 1 September 2026 and closed 30 September 2026, per both the proclamation text and CBP Quota Bulletin QB-26-230. Tranche 2 opens 1 October 2026 and closes 30 October 2026. Tranche 3 opens 31 October 2026 and stays open until its 100,000 MT allocation fills or 30 November 2026 arrives, whichever happens first. These dates are stated explicitly in the Federal Register notice itself, so the roughly 30-day spacing between tranches is confirmed, not estimated.
As of this publication, CBP has issued a quota bulletin only for Tranche 1 (QB-26-230). CBP has not yet published separate operational bulletins for Tranches 2 and 3, which is expected since those windows have not opened; readers should watch CBP's quota bulletin page for the follow-up notices confirming each subsequent tranche opens on schedule and has not been curtailed or suspended.
The window is conditional as well as dated. Proclamation 11059 directs officials to monitor whether the additional imports are actually selling meaningfully below prevailing market rates for lean beef trimmings, a margin the proclamation puts at around 25 percent, and it reserves the President's power to cut the increase short if they are not. So a tranche opening on schedule is not the same as a tranche running its full course, and an importer planning against the 30 November 2026 end date is planning against the outer limit rather than a guaranteed one.
Why it matters
If you broker or import frozen or chilled beef trimmings for grinding, you have a roughly 90-day window to land qualifying product under the in-quota tariff rate rather than the higher out-of-quota rate, but only against the four specific HTS statistical reporting numbers named in the proclamation and only with the 9903.54.02 prefix correctly filed. Because each tranche is first-come, first-served and closes on a fixed date (or fills early), you need to track CBP's quota bulletin page in real time rather than assuming the window stays open through November. Cold-store operators serving grinding beef importers should expect a volume surge concentrated in short monthly bursts rather than a steady flow, and should plan throughput and space accordingly. Do not treat this as a durable change to US beef trade policy. It is a temporary, proclamation-based waiver that reverts to standard out-of-quota tariffs once Tranche 3 closes or fills, and in any case after 30 November 2026 unless a further proclamation extends it. It can also end sooner: the proclamation lets the President curtail the increase if the extra volume is not selling meaningfully below prevailing market rates, so treat 30 November as the outer limit, not a commitment.