Senator Mike Rounds, US Senator for South Dakota | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Senator Mike Rounds, US Senator for South Dakota | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) has reintroduced the USA Beef Act, aiming to restrict the “Product of USA” label exclusively to beef products that are born, raised, and slaughtered within the United States. The bill would also codify a recent rule by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that addresses this labeling standard.
The USDA finalized a rule in March 2024 requiring that only meat, poultry, and egg products entirely produced in the United States can carry labels such as “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA.” This regulation became effective in May 2024 and requires all producers to comply by early 2026. The rule is voluntary and does not require mandatory origin labeling but allows producers to use these labels if they meet all requirements.
Since the current USDA regulation is an executive agency action, it could be rescinded by future administrations. Rounds’ legislation seeks to make these standards permanent by enacting them into law.
“We applaud the USDA taking action to restore integrity to the ‘Product of USA’ label on meat, poultry and egg products,” said Rounds. “This has been a big step forward in consumer transparency and gives our American ranchers the upper hand to compete with lower quality foreign beef that used to falsely bear the same label. My legislation would make these changes permanent and make certain that the rule stays in place for years to come. While this rule is a win, our next priority is delivering Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for American producers and consumers.”
Rounds has previously led efforts regarding beef labeling integrity. He organized a roundtable on beef labeling in June 2021 before first introducing the USA Beef Act later that year during the 117th Congress.
He has also supported implementing Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL). In 2024, Rounds began a nationwide campaign for including MCOOL provisions in the Farm Bill, receiving backing from multiple farm and ranch organizations across the country. Most recently, he sent a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins urging her to develop guidelines for reinstating MCOOL.
For more information on this legislation, visit HERE.
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