<body><p>STORY: Walmart said Monday it would cut prices on many summer barbecue favorites, including meat, chips and soda.</p><p>The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said the retailer was acting at his administration's request.</p><p>In a Truth Social post, he said Walmart would be lowering prices significantly, "to celebrate our great Country's 250th birthday."</p><p>Trump said the firm would, “be dropping the price for a pound of ground beef by almost 15%.”</p><p>Walmart said in a statement that the price of one pound of 73% ground beef roll would drop to $5.94 from $6.74 in its stores, a decline of about 12%.</p><p>The retailer also said it lowered prices on items including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo sodas and chips.</p><p>Prices for steaks and hamburger meat soared after a persistent drought burned pasture lands and hiked costs of cattle feed, forcing U.S. ranchers to slash their herds.</p><p>Now the price cuts mark a notable shift from last year, when Walmart warned that tariffs would push some prices higher, a move Trump had rebuked.</p><p>The president had previously encouraged low-tariff imports of Argentine beef to cool U.S. prices, which angered American ranchers.</p><p>He had also directed the Department of Justice to investigate whether U.S. meatpackers were colluding to raise prices.</p><p>Walmart is widely viewed by economists and investors as a gauge of U.S. consumer health because of its size and broad customer base.</p></body>
