(WASHINGTON D.C.) — On Friday, President Trump called for a renewal of an investigation into the Big Four meatpacking companies. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said in part that “I have 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. We will always protect our American Ranchers, and they are being blamed for what is being done by Majority Foreign Owned Meat Packers, who artificially inflate prices, and jeopardize the security of our Nation’s food supply.”
In a second Truth Social post, the President added that “while Cattle Prices have dropped substantially, the price of Boxed Beef has gone up — Therefore, you know that something is “fishy.” We will get to the bottom of it very quickly. If there is criminality, those people responsible will pay a steep price!”
Last week, Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) called on the President and the Department of Justice to follow up on an investigation into the Big 4 meatpackers that was launched in 2020. Senator Cramer posted on X: “ Five years ago, President Trump and the Department of Justice rightly opened an investigation into antitrust violations by meatpackers and the previous administration did nothing. The Big 4 meatpackers are strangling our livestock producers and pushing prices higher for consumers. It’s time for Attorney General Pam Bondi to finish the work started by trust buster and Rancher-in-Chief President Roosevelt.”
Senator Cramer followed up in a post after the President’s comments saying “Thanks President Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for renewing your commitment to this investigation.”
***Hear Senator Cramer talk about this issue and others in an interview on Agriculture of America (AOA) that aired last Thursday, November 6th:
Groups like Farm Action and R-CALF USA applauded the announcement of a DOJ investigation over the weekend. “For years, farmers and ranchers have sounded the alarm while the ‘Big Four’ packers—JBS, Tyson, Cargill, and National Beef—have squeezed producers and gouged consumers,” said Angela Huffman, president of Farm Action. “An investigation is a critical first step. But action must follow. The DOJ should hold these corporations accountable, break up their monopolistic control, and restore fair competition in America’s beef market. Ranchers need fair prices. Consumers deserve honesty at the checkout. It’s time to fix this broken system once and for all.”
“We greatly appreciate President Trump’s announcement that he’s directed the Department of Justice to investigate the beef supply chain to determine if there are any violations of our fair competition laws or antitrust laws,” according to R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. “There has long been a disconnect between cattle prices and beef prices, and we believe this is evidence of market failure. We welcome this investigation to ensure that cattle producers receive competitive prices for their cattle, and that consumers pay prices set by a competitive market rather than a monopolistic one.”
Politico reports that the Trump announcement comes “amid pressure over the high cost of beef — and a bubbling feud with farm state Republicans over plans to import beef from Argentina — and shortly after a White House meeting with a handful of senators from beef-producing states.”
Earlier this year, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota granted approval of a settlement for a class-action lawsuit filed by the National Farmers Union, R-CALF USA and for individual ranchers in 2019 who alleged that JBS took part in anti-competitive conduct in the cattle market. JBS, consider one of the Big 4 along with National Beef, Cargil and Tyson, has settled in that case for $83.5 million. The other packers have not settled in that case.
In a separate consumer case, also filed in 2019 in Minnesota, Tyson Foods and Cargill agreed to pay $55 million and $32.5 million respectively this fall to consumers who alleged the companies conspired to fix beef prices.