A federal judge in Minnesota has ruled that several of the country’s largest pork producers will go to trial over allegations of price-fixing—unless settlements are reached. This long-running legal battle consolidates lawsuits from multiple plaintiff groups, accusing pork companies of colluding to limit supply and inflate pork prices between 2009 and 2018.
Defendants still facing trial include Agri Stats Inc., Clemens Food Group, JBS USA, Seaboard Foods, Smithfield Foods, Triumph Foods, and Tyson Foods. Notably, Hormel Foods was dismissed from the case.
The plaintiffs represent three certified classes—direct purchasers, commercial indirect purchasers, and consumer indirect purchasers—along with numerous direct-action plaintiffs. At the heart of the case is the alleged misuse of Agri Stats’ industry benchmarking data, which plaintiffs argue was used to coordinate production cuts and manipulate pricing across the sector.
Following an extensive review of more than 55,000 pages of documents and two days of oral arguments, the court issued a 232-page decision. While some motions for summary judgment were granted, others—including those from the remaining defendants—were denied.
The claims extend beyond the federal Sherman Antitrust Act, with plaintiffs also alleging violations of state antitrust and consumer protection laws, unjust enrichment, and the Packers and Stockyards Act.
What’s Next?
Unless settlements are reached, the case heads to trial—bringing continued scrutiny to the pork industry and how benchmarking data is shared and used.
