The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating major meatpacking companies following allegations of price manipulation in the beef industry, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, after President Donald Trump called for immediate action.
“Action must be taken immediately to protect Consumers, combat Illegal Monopolies, and ensure these Corporations are not criminally profiting at the expense of the American People,” Trump said in the post.
“For far too long, hardworking ranching families have been squeezed by massive foreign-owned meatpacking corporations manipulating prices and driving family operations out of business,” Rollins said. “These global monopolies profit while everyday Americans pay more at the grocery store and rural communities struggle to survive.”
The inquiry comes amid record-high beef prices in the United States.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the national cattle herd has fallen to its smallest size in nearly 75 years. In July 2025, it reported that 94.2 million head of cattle were in the field—down from 113 million in 2000.
Several factors have contributed to the supply shortage, including droughts that have reduced pasture lands and feeding resources, prompting ranchers to reduce herd sizes.
The so-called “Big Four” meatpackers—Cargill, JBS, National Beef, and Tyson Foods—now control more than 80 percent of the American beef-processing market. Ranchers and industry groups have long alleged that this consolidation gives packers undue influence over prices.
Representatives of Cargill, JBS, National Beef, and Tyson Foods did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.
The organization noted past multimillion-dollar settlements by large packers, including an $83 million settlement by JBS in February 2025, over disputes related to anticompetitive behavior.
The investigation coincides with a broader federal initiative to rebuild the American cattle industry.