The premium roast and steak primal between the chuck and the loin. Roughly 9 to 11 percent of carcass weight, but disproportionately important because it carries the ribeye. Live USDA AMS prices for every rib sub-primal, updated every business day.
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.
About the beef rib
The rib is one of the smaller beef primals by weight, sitting between the chuck and the loin and carrying roughly 9 to 11 percent of carcass yield. Despite its size, it is the most demand-sensitive primal on the carcass because it carries the ribeye. The major sub-primals are the lip-on bone-in ribeye (IMPS 109E), the boneless lip-on ribeye (IMPS 112A), the fully trimmed boneless ribeye roll (IMPS 112), and the back ribs (IMPS 124).
Ribeye demand is entrenched. Steakhouses, premium retail steak cases, and high-end foodservice programs all anchor on ribeye for the center of the plate. The bone-in (109E) format leans foodservice and high-end retail; the boneless heavy (112A) leans further-processed steak portioning. Back ribs flow almost entirely into BBQ and slow-smoke channels and trade on a different demand cycle than the boneless cuts above.
Every rib sub-primal prints daily in the USDA AMS National Daily Boxed Beef Cutout report (LM_XB403), broken out by Choice and Select grade. The Choice/Select spread on ribeye is one of the cleaner reads on premium-grade demand pressure: it widens during steakhouse-led demand pulls and tightens when the broader cutout is moving on supply. Volume reports show pounds traded per cut per day.
Frequently asked
What is the most valuable cut from the beef rib?
Rib, Ribeye, Bnls, Heavy is the highest-priced rib sub-primal at $14.79/lb Choice as of 2026-08-28, from the USDA AMS National Daily Boxed Beef Cutout report (LM_XB403).
What's driving beef rib prices today?
Average $13.95/lb across 3 Choice sub-primals Composite is up 0.2% week over week and running 20.6% above its usual level for this time of year.
How do Choice and Select rib prices differ?
Choice rib 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.
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