Howard Lutnick Calls Out EU Over Beef Restrictions: 'Unbelievable—They Won't Take Our Chicken, Our Lobsters, Or Our Corn'

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on April 3 didn't hold back as he slammed the European Union's long-standing restrictions on American agricultural exports. Speaking with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Lutnick unleashed a full-course critique of European Union trade policies, calling them "unbelievable" and accusing the bloc of shutting out superior U.S. products.

"They won't take chicken from America. They won't take lobsters from America. They hate our beef because our beef is beautiful, and theirs is weak," Lutnick said.

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Beef, Tariffs, and Trade Battles

The tough talk follows President Donald Trump's announcement of a sweeping new 20% tariff on all EU imports, part of a reciprocal move branded as "Liberation Day" tariffs.

The tarrifs, which took effect April 5, targets what the administration calls unfair trade practices, especially in the agriculture and auto sectors.

Lutnick stood by the tariffs, arguing the U.S. has long been on the losing side of global trade deals. He cited not only the EU but also other major economies as culprits.

"We can't sell corn to India. We can't sell rice to Asia. Why in the world do we let these people sell their cars?" Lutnick said. "Ninety-four percent of cars in Japan are made in Japan."

The U.S. trade deficit with the EU and Japan has been a repeated source of frustration in Washington, where leaders argue that American farmers and producers are hamstrung by non-tariff barriers and health-based bans that aren’t applied evenly.

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Among the EU’s primary restrictions is its long-standing ban on hormone-treated beef. While the EU lifted a blanket ban on U.S. beef in 2015—initially imposed due to concerns over mad cow disease—it still requires that imported beef be hormone-free. 

That's a sticking point for many American producers, who commonly use growth-promoting hormones under US Department of Agriculture guidelines.

In 2019, a compromise was reached: the EU would create and expand a duty-free quota for high-quality U.S. beef—starting at 18,500 metric tons that year and increasing to 35,000 metric tons by 2026. 

However, U.S. beef exports haven't come close to hitting that ceiling. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture's report, only 52.9% of the quota was used in 2022. 

Lutnick's claim that U.S. beef is viewed as superior isn't just bravado. Based on data from the Meat Export Federation, U.S. beef always sells at a premium internationally, with the export value per head of fed slaughter at $415 last year, up 5% from 2023. Beef exports reached $10.45 billion in 2024.

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