The middle-meat primal between the rib and the round. Roughly 17 percent of carcass weight, producing the highest-revenue cuts on the carcass: strip loin, tenderloin, top butt, tri-tip, and bottom sirloin flap. Live USDA AMS prices for every loin sub-primal, updated every business day.
The loin is the middle-meat primal that runs along the spine from the last rib back to the hip socket. On a standard 750 lb carcass it carries about 17 percent of the weight, but it produces the highest-revenue cuts on the carcass: strip loins, tenderloins, top butts, tri-tips, and bottom sirloin flaps. Buyers focused on white-tablecloth foodservice or premium retail steak programs spend most of their attention here.
Loin sub-primals split into two halves. The short loin (IMPS 174 through 180, sitting forward) yields the strip loin and the tenderloin, the highest-value cuts on the carcass. The sirloin (IMPS 181 through 185, sitting rearward) yields top butt, tri-tip, ball-tip, top sirloin cap (picanha, IMPS 184B), and the bottom sirloin flap (bavette, IMPS 185A). Pricing dynamics differ between the two halves: short-loin demand is driven by steakhouse and retail steak programs, while sirloin moves more on grilling-season pulls and value-steak features.
Every loin sub-primal is priced daily in the USDA AMS National Daily Boxed Beef Cutout report (LM_XB403), broken out by Choice and Select grade. Volume reports show klbs traded per cut per day, which is the cleanest signal of demand depth. The Choice/Select spread within the loin runs wider than other primals because steak programs prefer Choice for marbling.
Frequently asked
What is the most valuable cut from the beef loin?
Loin, Butt Tender, Trimmed is the highest-priced loin sub-primal at $15.32/lb Choice as of 2026-05-14, from the USDA AMS National Daily Boxed Beef Cutout report (LM_XB403).
What's driving beef loin prices today?
Average $9.04/lb across 12 Choice sub-primals Composite is down 0.4% week over week and running 16.7% above the 5-year seasonal norm.
How do Choice and Select loin prices differ?
Choice loin cuts trade at a premium to Select that reflects the marbling preference of steak and premium retail programs. The Choice/Select spread varies by sub-primal: it runs widest on the demand-driven steak cuts and narrows on the value-end cuts that move on supply. Both grades print daily on the USDA AMS LM_XB403 report.
Multi-year price history, 5-year seasonal overlay, holiday markers, and a 26-week forecast on every cut. Pin your active cuts to your watchlist and get alerts when they hit your price. 7-day free trial, $49/mo USD. Cancel anytime.
Source: USDA AMS National Daily Boxed Beef Cutout, Negotiated Sales (LM_XB403). Click any row for the full chart, multi-year history, and seasonal context.