I'm fairly certain we are a net beef import country.
The USDA site
With the largest fed-cattle industry in the world, the United States is also the world's largest producer of beef, primarily high-quality, grain-fed beef for domestic and export use. Nevertheless, the United States is a net beef importer
Net importer just means imports exceed exports. Your original question was:
Isn't most of American beef imported?
Most of our beef is domestically produced. US domestic beef production in a typical year is north of ten million tons. Our largest import customer by comparison is Canada (followed by Mexico) and we only import low hundreds of thousands of tons from them. ALL our imports combined are maybe 1/10 the domestic production.
So why is the US a "net importer"?
Because our exports are very low. Most of the world can't afford US beef.
But in terms of meeting internal demand? Mostly domestic production. Make no mistake, the US has effective autarky with regards to meat.
And also if you dig really deep into the numbers, most of the Canadian and Mexican beef imports are actually manufactured beef products, not carcass cuts. Your frozen beef meatballs, McDonalds hamburger patties, etc; things that can be radiation sterilized.
If you're ever driving along I-80 through Iowa, north of the interstate about five miles east of Grinnell, you'll see a long, low line of white buildings. That is the 8th or 9th largest chicken factory farm on Earth.
The smell... is like if the Battle of the Somme was fought between pigeons and seaguls.
No.
It is not. The USDA even gets snitty about importing Canadian beef.
I'm fairly certain we are a net beef import country.
The USDA site
Net importer just means imports exceed exports. Your original question was:
Most of our beef is domestically produced. US domestic beef production in a typical year is north of ten million tons. Our largest import customer by comparison is Canada (followed by Mexico) and we only import low hundreds of thousands of tons from them. ALL our imports combined are maybe 1/10 the domestic production.
So why is the US a "net importer"?
Because our exports are very low. Most of the world can't afford US beef.
But in terms of meeting internal demand? Mostly domestic production. Make no mistake, the US has effective autarky with regards to meat.
And also if you dig really deep into the numbers, most of the Canadian and Mexican beef imports are actually manufactured beef products, not carcass cuts. Your frozen beef meatballs, McDonalds hamburger patties, etc; things that can be radiation sterilized.
Okay dokie, thanks
As one interesting side note...
If you're ever driving along I-80 through Iowa, north of the interstate about five miles east of Grinnell, you'll see a long, low line of white buildings. That is the 8th or 9th largest chicken factory farm on Earth.
The smell... is like if the Battle of the Somme was fought between pigeons and seaguls.
You’re misinterpreting the data.