US DOJ Expands Beef Price-Fixing Probe to Eight Major Retail Chains

The US Department of Justice has broadened its antitrust investigation into beef pricing, now demanding pricing, cost, and margin data from eight major supermarket and retail chains. This marks a significant escalation from earlier probes focused on meatpackers, signaling potential systemic price coordination concerns across the supply chain. The expansion suggests regulators are scrutinizing retail-level margins, which could lead to enforcement actions or industry-wide pricing reforms.