The investigation, which spanned both the Trump and Biden administrations, focused on the sharp price spikes that emerged during the 2020 pandemic. Bloomberg reported that officials formally notified industry players of the probe's closure just weeks before Trump announced via social media that he had ordered the DOJ to investigate whether companies were colluding to inflate beef prices. The industry remains highly concentrated, with Tyson, Cargill, JBS, and National Beef controlling roughly 80% of the U.S. beef market.
In section Newsroom
DOJ Closed Meatpacking Antitrust Probe Ahead of Trump's Investigation Call
The Department of Justice quietly shuttered an antitrust probe into the meatpacking industry shortly before President Donald Trump publicly demanded a new investigation into potential price-fixing. Critics argue the move is a performative distraction, noting the president recently rescinded executive orders meant to curb corporate abuses in the sector.
Advocacy groups like Food & Water Watch and Farm Action have dismissed the new announcement as a political deflection. Tarah Heinzen of Food & Water Watch emphasized that farmers and consumers require substantive policy enforcement, such as defending Packers and Stockyards Act rules, rather than public declarations. Farm Action noted that while the Sherman Antitrust Act provides the DOJ with significant authority to break up monopolies or prosecute executives, such probes frequently conclude without meaningful action due to a lack of political will.
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