By Phillip C. Parrish
Candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 2026 | Retired Navy Lieutenant Commander | Beef Farmer | Advocate for American Families and Food Security
As a beef farmer in Minnesota, I’ve spent my life raising cattle the right way—on American soil, with hard work, integrity, and a commitment to feeding my neighbors wholesome, homegrown meat. But every day, I see the ground shifting under our feet, not from drought or market swings, but from the cold grip of foreign interests and the politicians who let them in. The recent Senate vote to overturn President Trump’s tariffs on Brazil isn’t just a policy misstep; it’s a glaring indictment of how big money, lobbyists, and morally bankrupt agendas are selling out American ranchers like me to line the pockets of global elites. Trump was right to stand up for us. The elites? They’re dead wrong—and it’s time we call it out.
Let’s cut through the noise. On July 4, 2025, President Trump invoked national emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to slap 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports. Why? To hit back at Brazil’s “witch hunt” against former President Jair Bolsonaro, a leader now under house arrest in Brasília for alleged election interference and incitement tied to his 2022 loss. Bolsonaro, barred from office until 2030, faces restrictions that keep him confined to his residence, with an ankle monitor and bans on social media or foreign contact—moves critics like Trump call political persecution. But beyond the politics, these tariffs targeted a deeper threat: Brazil’s stranglehold on our beef supply, fueled by a government with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and a track record of corruption that endangers American farmers and consumers.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a self-styled socialist from the Workers’ Party, has deepened economic bonds with Beijing since taking office in 2023. China is now Brazil’s top trading partner, snapping up billions in soy, iron ore, and—crucially—beef, with deals that critics say give the CCP undue leverage over Lula’s agenda. Lula’s administration has pledged the “One China” principle, affirming Beijing’s sole legitimacy over Taiwan, and hosted high-level CCP exchanges that blend party-to-party “strategic partnerships” with trade pacts. This isn’t neutral diplomacy; it’s a pipeline for influence that funnels cheap, questionable beef into our markets while American herds shrink from droughts and high feed costs.
And the beef? That’s where it hits home. Brazilian giants JBS S.A. and Marfrig Global Foods—both backed by billions in Brazilian government loans—control two of America’s “Big Four” meatpackers, processing a staggering 74% of U.S. beef. JBS, the world’s largest meatpacker, owns JBS USA and snapped up Swift & Company in 2007 using funds from a bribery-fueled scandal that ensnared over 1,800 politicians. Marfrig holds 80% of National Beef Packing, turning what was once an American asset into a foreign fiefdom. These companies aren’t just importers; they’re gatekeepers, squeezing U.S. ranchers with oligopolistic power that drives down cattle prices while hiking retail costs.
The result? American farmers are getting crushed. U.S. beef imports from Brazil exploded 26-fold from 7 million pounds in January 2020 to a record 197 million in January 2025, flooding the market with lean trim for burgers and ground beef. Our domestic herd is at a 70-year low, production down 2% this year alone, yet packers import cheap Brazilian product—often linked to Amazon deforestation and food safety scandals—undercutting family operations like mine. In Minnesota, where we lead in grass-fed beef, this means lower bids at auction barns and families like ours scraping by on slim margins. Trump’s tariffs aimed to level the field, protecting our supply chain from this foreign dominance. Instead, the Senate—led by free-trade Republicans like Sens. Rand Paul, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell—voted 52-48 on October 28 to kill them, bowing to industry pressure.
Who’s pulling the strings? Follow the money. JBS has dumped over $7.7 million into U.S. lobbying since 2007, the fourth-highest in the meat sector, cozying up to lawmakers to keep the import spigot wide open. Brazilian exporters, via groups like ABIEC, are scrambling to lobby U.S. importers and Congress, warning of “$1 billion in losses” while U.S. ranchers lose jobs and market share. This isn’t free trade; it’s captured trade, where foreign cash trumps American livelihoods. The elites peddle emotional ploys—“protect consumers from higher burger prices!”—and fake narratives about “global supply chains,” exploiting a public bombarded by media spin and low-information voters who don’t see the devastation in rural America. Meanwhile, JBS rakes in billions, linked to E. coli recalls, worker abuses, and environmental crimes that would never fly here.
As a Navy vet who blew the whistle on waste and fraud, I’ve seen how compromised systems erode trust. In Minnesota, we’ve lost thousands of family farms to this consolidation, with foreign-owned packers dictating terms that favor their bottom lines over our dinner tables. Trump’s move was a bold stand for sovereignty—for the rancher watching his herd dwindle, the mom paying $6 a pound for ground beef, the veteran like me who fought for a nation that puts its people first. The Senate’s reversal? A moral failure, prioritizing corrupt agendas over the hardworking poor and middle class.
We can’t let this stand. As your next Governor, I’ll fight for Minnesota farmers with ironclad audits of state ag spending, tax credits for direct-to-consumer sales, and a push for federal reforms to break the foreign meat monopoly. No more lobbyist handouts. No more fake narratives. Just right versus wrong: American beef for American families. Join me at parrish4mn.com to build this future—because if we don’t act, the elites win, and we lose everything.
Phillip C. Parrish is a third-generation farmer, teacher, administrator, and 2026 gubernatorial candidate committed to transparency, economic empowerment, and putting Minnesota families first.
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