The US’s largest beef processors have been ordered to provide information in relation to anti-competitive practices during the pandemic.
Tyson, Cargill, and the Brazilian-owned National Beef and JBS companies were all served with orders by the US Department of Justice to look at the pricing of their products. The four players process 80 per cent of US beef.
Early in the pandemic, US Secretary of State for Agriculture Sonny Perdue said the US Department of Agriculture would monitor cattle pricing for any irregularities.
Chicken
Meanwhile, the chief executive of poultry processor Pilgrim’s Pride, Jayson Penn, and three other directors have been indicted in relation to the price-fixing of chicken between 2012 and 2017.
Tyson, Cargill and JBS have large poultry operations in addition to beef processing and would be likely to benefit from a trade deal with the UK that allowed greater access for US beef and poultry into the British market.