President Trump summons advisers to combat rising beef prices and inflation
President Donald Trump has convened a team of economic and industrial advisors to address rising beef prices and broader inflation concerns. The group will focus on strategies to lower the price of ground meat and provide relief to American families facing rising grocery costs.
Fox – 5 Atlanta
If you purchased beef between 2014 and 2019, you may be eligible for a partial cash settlement.
Multiple meat producers are accused in an antitrust class action lawsuit of entering into noncompete agreements to increase beef prices. As a result, customers affected by these alleged actions may be eligible for compensation.
The lawsuit alleges that multiple food companies agreed to stop competing with each other for market share and were allowed to increase the price customers pay for beef between August 1, 2014 and December 31, 2019, according to a website dedicated to the lawsuit.
Named in the federal lawsuit are JBS USA Food Company, Swift Beef Company, JBS Packerland, Cargill, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, National Beef Packing Company, Tyson Foods and Tyson Fresh Meats.
Tyson Foods and Tyson Fresh Meats agreed to a total settlement of $55 million, and Cargill agreed to a $32.5 million settlement, the website said.
USA TODAY reached out to Tyson Foods and Cargill, which owns Tyson Fresh Meat, on Friday, January 2, but did not receive a response.
A judge is scheduled to hold a fairness hearing in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota on May 12, 2026 at 11 a.m. Central Time to determine whether these settlements will be approved.
Those receiving a cash settlement must wait until the payment is approved and the appeal is concluded, a process that “may take time,” plaintiffs’ lawyers wrote on the lawsuit’s website.
In October 2025, Tyson Foods separately agreed to pay $85 million to settle a consumer class action lawsuit accusing the meat maker of colluding with rivals to jack up the price of pork, Reuters reported.
Here’s what beef buyers need to know if they want to get a piece of the $87.5 million total cash settlement.
What products are included? And who is participating in the lawsuit?
The lawsuit includes beef (fresh or frozen) made from shoulder loin, loin, ribs, or round prim cuts, according to the lawsuit’s website.
Some beef products are not included, such as:
- Premium: USDA Prime, Organic, 100% Grass-Fed Wagyu, “American Style Kobe Beef.”
- Specialties: No Antibiotics Ever (“NAE”), Antibiotic Free, Kosher, Halal, Certified Humane.
- Processed Beef: Ground, marinated, seasoned, flavored, breaded, or cooked beef.
The class and its attorneys have created a searchable database for the parts of beef included in the lawsuit.
Consumers are subject to lawsuits if they purchased these products indirectly (i.e., from a grocery store) between August 2014 and December 2019.
What are the consumer’s options? What are the deadlines?
Plaintiffs and their attorneys say their clients have multiple options for litigation.
According to the website, options for consumers include:
- I would like to receive payment in cash. Customers taking this route must submit their claim form by the following deadlines: June 30, 2026. They will be paid in cash and will not be able to sue Cargill and Tyson over the claims in the lawsuit.
- I would like to opt out or be excluded from the lawsuit. You may submit a written opt-out request by: March 30, 2026. They cannot receive cash payments, but they can sue Cargill and Tyson on their own.
- I want to oppose reconciliation. Consumers can submit written appeals in the following ways: March 30, 2026. Consumers who object are still bound by the settlement, but their objection allows them to tell the court why they believe the payment is unfair.
- I don’t want to do anything. Consumers who take this route do not receive cash payments, are legally bound to the settlement, and waive their right to later sue Cargill and Tyson.
Customers seeking more information regarding this lawsuit may visit www.overchargedforbeef.com, call 1-877-283-8711, or write to: Consumer Indirect Beef Litigation c/o Settlement Administrator, PO Box 3605, Portland, Oregon, 97208-3605.
I would like to file a complaint. What should I do?
Consumers can download and mail a claim form from the litigation website or submit a form online.
If you wish to submit the form by mail, please ensure that your document is postmarked by June 30, 2026 and send it to Consumer Indirect Beef Litigation Settlement Administrator, PO Box 3605, Portland, Oregon 97208-3605.
I would like to speak at the public hearing in May. Who should I contact?
Consumers and lawyers behind the lawsuit say those interested in speaking at the May 12 fairness hearing can request to do so by mailing a letter postmarked by March 30.
The letter must include:
- Speaker’s name, current address, phone number, and signature.
- Identifies this letter as “Notice of Intent to Appear in Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litigation, Number 0:22-md-03031.”
Consumers should send their letters to: Consumer Indirect Beef Litigation c/o Settlement Administrator PO Box 3605 Portland, Oregon, 97208-3605 or United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, 300 South Fourth Street, Suite 202, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55415.
Saleen Martin is a reporter for USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia (757). Email sdmartin@usatoday.com.
