Rancher leads appeal to U.S. trade commission for lamb import restrictions

MT. PLEASANT—North Sanpete sheep rancher Carson Jorgensen is helping lead a national push for restrictions on lamb imports, with federal officials nearing a decision that could affect sheep producers across the United States.

Jorgensen joined sheep ranchers and industry representatives from across the country at an Oct. 16 hearing before the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. The commission is investigating whether increasing imports of lamb meat have caused serious injury, or threaten serious injury, to American producers.

The commission is scheduled to issue its determination by Nov. 13, potentially opening the door to new tariffs, import quotas or other measures intended to protect domestic sheep producers.

For Sanpete County, where sheep ranching has been an important part of the agricultural economy for generations, the outcome could carry significant consequences.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, Sanpete County had 64,277 sheep and lambs at the end of that year. The county recorded more than $9.3 million in sales in a category that includes sheep, goats, wool, mohair and milk, ranking first in Utah and 10th nationally among counties reporting sales in that category.

Jorgensen, whose family operates Skyline Sheep Co. in Mt. Pleasant, serves as chairman and lead organizer of Protect American Lamb, a coalition of producers seeking federal protection against imported lamb.

“Yesterday was a culmination of the last six years,” Jorgensen said, in reference to the Oct. 16 hearing.

“We spent all day in a hearing room…making our arguments. Thirteen countries plus the EU (European Union) filed to oppose the U.S. sheep producers in our plea to slow the flow of this cheap product that is damaging our food supply.

“[There were] sheep ranchers from across the country on one side of the room and dozens of high-priced attorneys, foreign officials, Ivy league economists and corporate CEOs on the other.”

He traced the effort to 2020, when a major lamb-processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, changed ownership, threatening processing access for sheep producers throughout the West.

The new owner, JBS moved to convert the financially troubled Mountain States Rosen from lamb to beef processing.

The effort expanded in 2023 when producers associated with Protect American Lamb and R-CALF USA submitted a petition seeking federal trade protections.

The proposal from the two agriculture groups would not necessarily prohibit foreign lamb from entering the country. Rather, the groups proposed a phased-in tariff rate. Under such a system, imports would enter at a lower tariff rate up to a specified quantity, with higher tariffs applying to additional imports.

The campaign gained additional attention this summer when U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer requested a trade commission investigation on July 13.

Four days later, Greer visited Jorgensen’s sheep operation in Sanpete County, where the two discussed the challenges facing domestic lamb producers and the potential effects of federal trade policy.

The central issue is the growing share of imported lamb from Australia and New Zealand.

Figures compiled by the American Sheep Industry Association, based on USDA data, show that the United States imported approximately 309.3 million pounds of lamb in 2024. Australia accounted for about 74 percent of those imports, while New Zealand supplied nearly 25 percent.

The association figures show that imported lamb and mutton accounted for approximately 73 percent of the U.S. supply in 2024.

A prehearing report from the commission revealed that imported lamb undersold domestic products in more than 90 percent of the price comparisons examined.

At the Oct. 16 hearing, Jorgensen argued that commissioners should consider the effects of imports on sheep growers and feeders, not just meat-processing businesses.

Representatives of Australian and New Zealand producers and meat suppliers disputed the contention that imports are responsible for the American sheep industry’s difficulties.

They argued that imported lamb helps meet U.S. demand that domestic producers cannot consistently supply, particularly during certain seasons. Opponents of restrictions also pointed to drought, labor shortages, production costs and declining domestic sheep numbers as contributing factors to the American sheep industry’s problems.

The investigation has drawn support from members of Utah’s congressional delegation.

An Oct. 6 letter, co-written by Rep. Celeste Maloy of Utah and Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, and signed by more than 60 other members of Congress, including Sen. John Curtis and Rep. Burgess Owens, urged commissioners to examine the evidence, and if they determine imports have harmed American producers, provide meaningful relief.

If the commission determines that imports have caused serious injury, a hearing on possible remedies is scheduled for Dec. 1.

The commission must submit its report to the president by Jan. 11, 2027. The president would then decide whether to impose protective measures and what form those measures would take.

For Jorgensen, the dispute extends beyond the price producers receive for their lambs. He argues that maintaining domestic food production is essential to the country’s long-term security.

“For far too long our trade policy has been [to] make sure Americans get ‘a fair shake’ at their own market,” Jorgensen said. “This is the trade policy we want to see and the only safe future for our country. A country that cannot feed itself can’t stay a sovereign nation. Food security is national security and we had better start giving it the attention it deserves.”