U.S. regulators are investigating major beef producers, including two Brazilian-owned firms, over possible antitrust violations linked to rising meat prices.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday, May 4, 2026, an intensified criminal antitrust investigation into the four largest beef processors operating in the United States, two of them Brazilian-owned. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a Washington press conference that DOJ lawyers have already reviewed more than three million documents and interviewed hundreds of ranchers since President Donald Trump ordered the probe in November 2025. The targets are JBS USA, Cargill, Tyson Foods and National Beef, which together control about 85 percent of U.S. cattle slaughter capacity.
What the DOJ Did
Blanche convened the press conference at the Department of Justice with Rollins and Navarro, and confirmed that the antitrust division had moved from preliminary inquiry to active investigation. The probe is examining potential price-fixing, bid-rigging, market allocation and procurement fraud in cattle markets. Blanche urged ranchers and industry insiders to come forward through the DOJ whistleblower programme, which can pay informants between 15 and 30 percent of any criminal recovery exceeding one million U.S. dollars.
Rollins detailed the structural case. The big four operate through 70 subsidiary companies, she said, and concentration in beef processing has surged from 25 percent in 1977 to 85 percent by 2024. She tied the consolidation to a U.S. cattle herd of just 27.6 million beef cows as of January 2026, the lowest level since the 1950s.
Why It Matters
Navarro’s intervention was the politically pointed moment. Trump’s senior trade adviser told reporters that the Brazilians are far more of the problem and that JBS specifically hands out millions of dollars to the U.S. political system.
He cited the combination of tight cattle supply, processor dominance and foreign ownership as the engine of beef inflation. Rollins added that foreign control of two of the big four constitutes a national security concern.
✔️ JBS USA is the U.S. subsidiary of São Paulo-listed JBS S.A., the world’s largest meat processor.
✔️ National Beef is owned by MBRF Global Foods, the conglomerate created in 2025 by the merger of Marfrig and BRF
Beef inflation has been a persistent theme in the Trump second term. Trump signed the executive order opening the probe in November 2025 after retail ground beef prices reached record highs. The probe covers cattle purchase agreements between feedlots and meatpackers, including the alternative marketing agreements that have replaced open auctions.
How This Reframes the Lula-Trump Summit
The DOJ probe announcement on Monday lands forty-eight hours before President Lula boards a plane to Washington. Brazilian diplomats had been framing the trip as a tariff-and-rare-earths reset.
Navarro’s framing on Monday changes the tone. Brazilian beef has joined Brazilian rare earths and Brazilian fintech as a category Washington wants to renegotiate.
What Happens Next
Blanche said the DOJ is moving as quickly as possible but did not commit to a charging timeline. Three milestones are on the calendar:
- Thursday, May 7: Lula-Trump meeting at the White House, where any tariff-and-investigation linkage will be tested.
- Mid-May: JBS S.A. quarterly results, where the company will face investor questions on the U.S. exposure of JBS USA.
- Late May: MBRF Global Foods first results as a merged entity, with National Beef accounting for a material share of consolidated revenue.
Source: The Rio Times
