Washington, D.C. — President Donald J. Trump has ordered the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into the country’s largest meatpacking companies, citing concerns of price-fixing, collusion, and market manipulation that he says have hurt ranchers and consumers alike.
In a statement posted Friday, Trump said he asked the DOJ “to immediately begin an investigation into the Meat Packing Companies who are driving up the price of Beef through Illicit Collusion, Price Fixing, and Price Manipulation,” pledging to “protect our American Ranchers” from “Majority Foreign Owned Meat Packers” that “artificially inflate prices” and threaten “the security of our Nation’s food supply” (Reuters).
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the DOJ’s Antitrust Division has begun coordinating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine the business practices of the industry’s “Big Four” firms, JBS USA, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and National Beef Packing Company, which together control roughly 85% of the U.S. beef processing market (Politico).
According to the Associated Press, the investigation will look at whether these companies have engaged in coordinated efforts to limit production or manipulate cattle and retail beef prices, echoing past antitrust lawsuits that accused packers of restricting supply to raise profits (AP News).
Industry critics have long argued that consolidation in meat processing has reduced competition and squeezed ranchers. The top four packers’ market share has climbed from about 36% in 1980 to over 80% today, leaving smaller producers with fewer buyers and less bargaining power.
Earlier this year, JBS agreed to pay $83.5 million to settle federal antitrust claims that it conspired to manipulate beef prices between 2015 and 2022 (Reuters).
Bondi said the administration’s goal is to “ensure fair markets for American producers and lower prices for American families,” emphasizing that “no company, foreign or domestic, is above the law.”
The White House described the move as part of a broader push to “restore competition and protect America’s food security.” Trump concluded his announcement with a familiar pledge: “President Trump will always have the backs of our Great American Farmers.”
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