Meat market read, Monday, June 22, 2026

Chuck short rib has shed 73¢/lb on the month and sits at 493¢/lb, yet every year in the sample it adds back at least a couple bucks from this point in June, with the four-week forward averaging nearly 25¢/lb positive. That kind of discount against a rising seasonal is rare in a supply-tightening tape. The carcass is splitting cleanly right now: lean trim is running 20 percentage points richer than middle meats, with 73CL at 340¢/lb carrying the grind lane as cow kill stays tight and imports fill the gaps. 75% ground beef has done its work, up over 60¢/lb on the month with history pulling it back nearly 30¢/lb from here. Meanwhile, Choice cutout added just half a cent today against thin beef loads, while Select gave back 2.70¢/lb/cwt, widening the grade spread further as fed cattle grade Choice at historically high rates. The loonie at 1.4174 keeps US beef expensive for Canadian buyers on every primal. Import beef trade data drops today, and that print will tell you whether the import flow filling the domestic supply hole is broad enough to take pressure off the lean complex or concentrated enough to leave the trim bid intact.

meatread.com