Expana to Observe New Year Holiday on January 1, 2026

Expana will be observing the New Year holiday on Thursday, January 1, 2026.

As previously announced, Market Insights and Market Updates were suspended beginning December 22 through January 2 with normal publishing to resume Monday January 5, 2026.

See the publication schedule for the 2025 Holiday Period here. 

Additionally, the Editorial Department will not be publishing news on Thursday, January 1 and will resume normal publishing on Friday, January 2, 2026. 

Happy New Year to all from everyone at Expana.

ANALYSIS: Frozen Whole Toms Rise From Five-Year Low to Near-Record Highs in 2025

The 16 lbs. frozen whole tom market started 2025 with the lowest value of the past 5-years. Starting in February though, it rose over the course of the year until it now sits at the second highest value ever recorded. This year’s December quotations fall only behind 2022 when the current outbreak of HPAI started. The value of frozen whole turkeys increased through much of 2022 before stabilizing in November. Prices then plateaued through April of 2023 before rapidly falling through the rest of the year. Quotations maintained a sideways trend through...

ANALYSIS: Chicken Inventories Hold Steady Amid Category Divergence

The USDA’s most recent cold storage release presents a mixed backdrop for the chicken complex as November came to a close, with key categories moving in notably different directions. Even so, inventory levels remained tightly clustered around both last November’s close and October’s ending stocks. At 814.9 million pounds, November’s total frozen chicken inventories ranked as the ninth-highest seasonal level in at least the past three decades. This figure reflects a 0.7% year-over-year (YOY) increase and a modest 0.4% rise from October. For context, month-over-month (MOM)...

ANALYSIS: Tighter Cattle Supplies and Rising Costs Set to Shape Irish Beef Prices in 2026

The Expana price for cattle steer in Ireland stood at €7.27/kg in the week ending December 10, 2025, representing a 2.9% decline month-over-month (MOM), while remaining sharply higher on an annual basis, up 31.2% year-over-year (YOY). Despite the recent monthly easing, prices continue to reflect tight supply conditions and strong underlying market fundamentals. 

Ireland exports approximately 90% of its beef production, meaning global market conditions play a decisive role in shaping domestic cattle prices. While short-term fluctuations in local supply can influence prices temporarily, export market trends remain...

Secretary Rollins Announces New Priorities for Research and Development in 2026

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, signed a Secretary’s Memorandum (PDF, 909 KB) that puts forth a focused effort to establish new priorities for future research and development activities funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to strengthen national security, protect U.S. agriculture, and support American farmers and consumers.

The American farm economy suffered under failed Biden-Harris Administration policies that drove up inflation, created a weak trade agenda that resulted in no new trade deals for American commodities, and propagated crippling overregulation. Further, misguided policies focused on DEI and environmental justice in agricultural research, extension, and education programs diverted...

USDA Advances Farm Security Action Plan to Protect US Farmland and Federal Programs from Foreign Adversaries

As committed to under USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced a number of coordinated actions to continue to emphasize American agricultural research and innovation by ensuring ideas stay in America or among our allies, not with hostile nations and that we are putting American farmers and ranchers first in every USDA program, period.

These historic actions strengthen transparency around foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land and ensure federal programs and purchasing preferences do not support supply chains controlled by...

China Imposes Additional 55% Tariffs on Imported Beef

China today (December 31) imposed additional 55% tariffs on beef imports from countries ⁠including Brazil, Australia and the US when shipments exceed certain quotas, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

The tariffs will apply to imported beef, effective January 1, 2026, according to the ministry.

The measures take effect ahead of the investigation’s revised January 26 deadline, marking a sharp shift in the pace of the case, with many of the most affected suppliers caught during the year-end Christmas and New Year closures.

A Chinese importer told Expana today

ANALYSIS: Bone-In Ham Market Transitions Post-Holiday 

According to Circana retail data, retail bone-in half ham activity has softened following the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday demand period, with prices and sales pulling back in line with typical seasonal patterns. Discounted retail prices moved lower into mid-December, settling in the $1.30–1.55/lb range, roughly 50% below late-November and early-December holiday highs near $2.80–3.00/lb, while non-discounted prices eased to the $1.85–1.95/lb range, about 38% below peak holiday levels...

Burger King® and Popeyes® Announce New Head Chefs

Burger King® and Popeyes® have each announced a new Head Chef – promoting existing top talent within Restaurant Brands International (RBI).

Amy Alarcon has been appointed Head Chef for Burger King, U.S. & Canada, following 18 years as a culinary leader and Head Chef at Popeyes. Amy previously led Popeyes’ success in shaping the brand’s culinary identity and driving category-defining menu innovation, including the iconic Popeyes Chicken Sandwich.

In her new role, Chef Amy will lead the Burger King culinary strategy...

Long John Silver’s Brings Back $6 Fish & Chicken Basket

Long John Silver’s is bringing back its popular fish baskets, harmonizing flavors from both sea and land while delivering the value customers seek. This revival features the $6 Fish & Chicken Basket for a limited time. 

"Guests have been telling us for years that our chicken is a best-kept secret," said Christopher Caudill, Long John Silver's senior vice president of marketing and innovation. "Our hand-battered chicken strips—known as Chicken Planks—are every bit as crave-worthy as our legendary fish. It's time we let that secret...

Crayola Launches Global McDonald's Happy Meal® Experience That's Out-of-This-World

Crayola has teamed up with McDonald's for the first time on a global scale with a new Happy Meal experience to propel kids' imagination into orbit and transform the universe into a canvas for creativity.

The Happy Meal features an exclusive lineup of co-branded, space-themed activity kits and toys designed to encourage hands-on creative moments that the whole family can share. The limited-edition Planet McDonald's Happy Meal is rolling out at participating McDonald's...

USTR Takes Measured Approach On Nicaragua

The US Trade Representative recently announced that the US will impose tariffs on all imported Nicaraguan goods that are not originating under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, due to a Section 301 investigation of Nicaragua's labor practices. The tariff will initially be set at zero, but is set to increase to 10% in 2027 and to 15% in 2028. It's a measured approach that won't interrupt trade with a growing market for US pork, according to US Meat Export Federation Central America Representative Lucia Ruano...

Op-Ed by Ambassador Jamieson Greer: The Year of the Tariff

WASHINGTON – United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer published an op-ed in The Financial Times explaining how President Trump’s trade program is accelerating America’s re-industrialization, incentivizing domestic production with improved market access for US exports.

The full text of the op-ed is below:

The year 2025 will be remembered as the year of the tariff, regardless of one’s economic ideology. International trade is neither good nor bad — it just is. The real question is whether trade patterns serve the national interest...

China to Impose Beef Safeguards: Details Due December 30

On December 30, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) is expected to announce the final outcome of its global safeguards investigation into beef imports, with a likely implementation date of January 1, 2026, the Meat Industry Association (MIA) said in a circular. MIA, the industry association from New Zealand, has been monitoring the situation and sent out a press release to update market participants.

The measure would create country-specific tariff-rate quotas for major exporters to China allocated on a three-year reference period...