The producer group R-CALF USA has filed a prehearing brief with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) arguing that rising lamb imports are seriously harming American sheep producers. The filing is part of a Section 201 safeguard investigation, which examines whether imports are injuring a domestic industry.
According to the brief, imports measured in carcass-weight equivalent rose 14.3% between 2021 and 2025, dipped briefly in 2025, and grew again by 5% in the first seven months of 2026 compared with a year earlier. Australia and New Zealand together supplied more than 99% of the imported lamb in the category examined.
R-CALF says lost sales of American lamb ripple down the chain: processors buy fewer animals from feedlots, and feeders buy fewer lambs from ranchers. It cites shrinking breeding flocks and a sharp fall over several decades in the number of farms with larger flocks. In a 2026 survey of growers and feeders cited in the filing, many said buyers pointed to imported lamb when negotiating prices or cutting purchases, and the projects they postponed or cancelled were worth nearly $10 million.
The group acknowledges stronger lamb prices and better profitability in some areas, but says higher prices do not reverse the loss of producers and breeding flocks. "The sheep industry is the canary in the coal mine for America's cattle producers," said R-CALF USA chief executive Bill Bullard.
The brief also asks the ITC to count growers, ranchers and feeders, not just processors, when judging injury. The commission will hold an injury hearing in Washington, and if it finds injury, the case moves to a stage where relief measures can be considered.
Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA ARS / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Source: Farms.com
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