H.R. 7567 · 119th Congress
Farm Bill 2.0

News · September 5, 2026

Trump Signs Two Beef Executive Orders Sept. 4: MCOOL, Packers Act, Wolves

Trump signed two beef executive orders Sept. 4, 2026, ordering 90-day reviews of MCOOL authority, Packers and Stockyards enforcement, and wolf delisting.

#mcool#cattle#packers-and-stockyards-act#executive-orders#endangered-species-act

TL;DR: President Trump signed two beef executive orders on Sept. 4, 2026. One directs USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to review within 90 days their authority to reestablish mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef. A second "Supporting America's Ranchers" order targets Packers and Stockyards Act enforcement, on-farm meat processing, and a 90-day review of gray wolf delisting.

Key takeaway

The two orders start 90-day reviews of MCOOL, meatpacker competition, and wolf delisting. They make no immediate policy changes on their own.

What happened

President Trump signed two executive orders on Sept. 4, 2026, that the White House described as cementing his status as the most pro-rancher administration in history. Neither order changes federal policy immediately. Both direct 90-day reviews.

The first order directs Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer to review, within 90 days, their statutory and regulatory authority to mandate country-of-origin labeling for beef. The order also requires USDA to publish an updated economic analysis of MCOOL's impact on the beef sector, and to issue or amend regulations to reestablish MCOOL.

The second order, titled "Supporting America's Ranchers," directs USDA to prioritize Packers and Stockyards Act investigations, increase enforcement staffing, support on-farm meat processing, and streamline interstate shipment of state-inspected meat. It also directs the Secretary of the Interior to determine, within 90 days, whether gray wolf and Mexican gray wolf populations have met Endangered Species Act recovery criteria for delisting.

DTN and Drovers reported that the orders make no immediate policy changes. They set 90-day review deadlines that could later lead to rulemaking.

What it means

For ranchers, the orders signal executive branch pressure on issues that have long been debated inside the Farm Bill 2.0 process, including labeling, packer competition, and predator losses. But nothing is enforceable yet, and the outcome depends on what the 90-day reviews conclude and whether rulemaking follows.

Industry reaction split along producer-versus-packer lines:

  • R-CALF USA president Dave Hyde called the orders "a step forward." The group separately cautioned the orders "don't fix everything with the stroke of a pen" and urged ranchers to stay mobilized for the implementation stage.
  • The Meat Institute, representing packers and processors, warned that reinstating MCOOL "will revive a failed policy."

MCOOL for beef and pork was repealed by Congress in 2015 after World Trade Organization rulings. Any move to reestablish it raises trade-law questions, which is why USTR is named alongside USDA. Readers tracking how labeling and competition provisions fit into the broader reauthorization can compare the executive actions against the legislative text in our full bill summary and what's new vs. 2018.

The wolf delisting review affects ranchers in the northern Rockies, the Southwest, and other regions with documented livestock predation. Conservation groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, oppose delisting. The order pairs the review with predator-loss compensation and grazing provisions.

What's next

As of Sept. 5, 2026, the key dates are the two 90-day deadlines, which fall in early December 2026. USDA and USTR are expected to deliver their MCOOL authority review and economic analysis, and Interior is expected to report on wolf recovery criteria.

Any actual reestablishment of MCOOL would likely require formal rulemaking after the review, a process that typically takes months and invites public comment and possible litigation. A delisting determination for gray or Mexican gray wolves would likely face legal challenges as well.

Congress remains a parallel track. Some of these issues, particularly livestock competition and labeling, overlap with provisions being debated in H.R. 7567 and the Senate's competing draft. Readers can follow that separately through our timeline and status page and reach lawmakers through contact Congress.

Frequently asked questions

What did Trump's beef executive orders do on Sept. 4, 2026?

Trump signed two executive orders on Sept. 4, 2026. The first directs USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative to review within 90 days their authority to reestablish mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef and to publish an updated economic analysis. The second, "Supporting America's Ranchers," targets Packers and Stockyards Act enforcement, on-farm meat processing, and a 90-day wolf delisting review.

Does the MCOOL executive order bring back country-of-origin labeling right away?

No. The MCOOL order does not immediately reinstate country-of-origin labeling. It directs Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and USTR Jamieson Greer to review their statutory and regulatory authority within 90 days, publish an updated economic analysis, and then issue or amend regulations. Any actual reestablishment of MCOOL would require rulemaking that follows the review.

What is the Packers and Stockyards Act and what does the order change?

The Packers and Stockyards Act is a federal law that regulates fair competition and prohibits unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices in the livestock and meatpacking industries. The "Supporting America's Ranchers" order directs USDA to prioritize investigations under the act, increase enforcement staffing, support on-farm meat processing, and streamline interstate shipment of state-inspected meat. It sets priorities rather than immediate rule changes.

What does the order say about wolves?

The "Supporting America's Ranchers" order directs the Secretary of the Interior to determine within 90 days whether gray wolf and Mexican gray wolf populations have met Endangered Species Act recovery criteria for delisting. The order also addresses predator-loss compensation and grazing. Conservation groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, oppose delisting and are expected to challenge any such determination.

How did cattle and meat industry groups react?

Reaction split along producer-versus-packer lines. R-CALF USA president Dave Hyde called the orders "a step forward," while the group also cautioned that the orders "don't fix everything with the stroke of a pen" and urged ranchers to stay mobilized for implementation. The Meat Institute, which represents packers and processors, warned that reinstating MCOOL "will revive a failed policy."

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