Trump orders investigation into the meat industry over high prices.

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday, July 7, that he has ordered an investigation into the practices of meat processing companies, which he accuses of colluding to set record prices for beef.

The cost of living has once again taken center stage in the political debate in the United States during a week marked by the heavy defeats suffered by the Republican Party in local elections.

“I have instructed the Department of Justice to immediately launch an investigation into meat processing companies that are raising beef prices through collusion, price fixing, and price manipulation,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“Immediate measures must be taken to protect consumers, combat monopolies, and ensure that these companies do not illegally profit at the expense of the American consumer,” he added, stating that meat processing companies are “predominantly foreign-owned.”

A year ago, Trump won the election on a promise to increase the purchasing power of Americans. But beef remains one of the most iconic products — and its price continues to rise.

According to the latest official data, consumer prices for beef and veal increased by almost 15% year-on-year in September.

In a recent report, the Farm Bureau, the leading agricultural organization in the United States, attributed these record prices to the significant reduction in the number of cattle in recent years (the lowest level in 74 years), combined with consistently high demand.

Last month, Trump suggested lowering prices by increasing imports from Argentina, but the proposal quickly sparked outrage from the livestock industry.

The National Cattlemen's Association (NCBA) warned at the time that the measure "undermines the future of family farmers and ranchers."

The United States Cattlemen's Association (USCA) argued that "the current price of beef in supermarkets reflects the true cost, adjusted for inflation, of raising cattle in the United States today."

Concern about the concentration of large companies in the meat industry and its impact on prices is not new. In 2021, the government of Democrat Joe Biden had already criticized several companies in the sector for obtaining substantial profits at the expense of rural producers and consumers.