DENVER, CO – The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI), the nation’s oldest livestock organization, has formally requested that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) initiate a global safeguard investigation into U.S. imports of lamb meat under Sections 201–202 of the Trade Act of 1974. ASI submitted this request on behalf of its 42 state associations and more than 100,000 farms and ranches.
This action led by ASI, seeks federal intervention to address the serious economic injury imported lamb products are inflicting on American sheep producers. Imported lamb, often sold below domestic market prices, is displacing U.S. production, eroding profitability, and threatening the long-term viability of the domestic industry.
To support the request, ASI developed and submitted both a public and a confidential report to USTR detailing the market data, import trends, and financial injury gathered directly from U.S. lamb companies in recent weeks. Working under ASI’s direction, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and Georgetown Economic Services LLC conducted the data collection, analysis, and preparation of the report.
Findings from ASI’s study show that U.S. lamb imports surged from 213.6 million pounds in 2020 to 309.3 million pounds in 2024, a nearly 45 percent increase, causing U.S. market share to decline by more than nine percentage points. By 2024, imports captured roughly 70 percent of the domestic market, driven primarily by pricing disparities. Imported square-cut lamb shoulders were found to be priced an average of 10.8 percent lower than U.S. product, with some instances approaching a 19.5 percent discount.
“This investigation request is the culmination of months of ASI’s independent research and advocacy,” said ASI President Ben Lehfeldt. “We appreciate the lamb companies that have joined the effort to document the injury and provide confidence in our request that federal investigators will find similar severe injury. Our members have made it clear that immediate federal action is necessary to restore fair competition and protect America’s sheep producers.”
ASI has been in regular communication with USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator nominee Julie Callahan and USTR staff, sharing data and analysis on the impact of rising lamb imports. During her October 29, 2025 testimony before the Senate Finance Committee, where Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) raised the issue of lamb imports, Callahan acknowledged that imported lamb is undercutting U.S. producers and expressed concern about the continued loss of market share among American sheep farmers. “We have farmers, second- and third-generation farmers—that are at risk of losing their ranches,” Callahan said. “They’re being outcompeted by imports.”
“We greatly appreciate Senator Barrasso for raising the issue of lamb imports during the hearing, and Dr. Callahan for her knowledge of the issue and her interest in supporting U.S. sheep producers,” said ASI President Ben Lehfeldt. “This attention to the challenges facing domestic producers underscores the importance of fair trade and the need for federal action. ASI will continue to lead this effort to protect U.S. producers and ensure the long-term health of America’s sheep industry.”
