Trump Administration Cracks Down on Foreign-Owned Meat Packing Cartels

President Donald J. Trump directed the Department of Justice to open an investigation into the nation’s largest meat packing companies for potential collusion, price fixing, and price manipulation.

• Focus of the Investigation

  • Targets the foreign-dominated conglomerates that control much of America’s meat supply.
  • Goal is to determine whether these firms coordinated prices or restricted capacity in violation of antitrust laws.

• Impact on Farmers and Consumers

  • A small group of giant meat packers has allegedly:
  • This behavior is portrayed as harming farmers, ranchers, and working families and threatening food security.

• Market Concentration

  • The “Big Four” meat packers:
  • Two of these companies, including the largest meat packer in the world, are foreign-owned or heavily foreign-controlled.
  • Concentration rose sharply from the 1980s to the mid-1990s and has grown further since.

• Alleged Effects of Monopoly Power

  • Lower payments to ranchers
  • Reduced herd sizes
  • Higher consumer prices
  • Greater vulnerability in America’s food supply chain

• Political Message

  • The action is framed as Trump “protecting American consumers” and standing with American farmers and ranchers.
  • The article closes with: “President Trump will ALWAYS have the backs of our Great American Farmers.”

Main Points