President Donald Trump announced on Friday measures to break what he described as a "powerful monopoly" in the American meat industry, dominated by four large processors that, according to the president, "make life miserable" for farmers and ranchers in the country.
In a message posted on his Truth Social network, Trump identified Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef as the companies that hold that market power and announced that he would authorize the preparation of legal documents to ensure that agricultural and ranching producers have the right to "process their own food."
"Farmers and ranchers have always been my number one priority. They work very hard, are smart, efficient, and impeccably clean, but for years I have heard that they have a huge problem with the large processors, which many say are a disgusting monopoly," Trump wrote in his post on Truth Social.
The president also pointed out that "a large part of the shareholding" of these companies is based outside of the United States, implicitly referring to JBS, a multinational company of Brazilian origin that has been operating in the U.S. market since it acquired Swift & Company in 2007 and has become one of the largest meat processors in the world.
Trump called for the deregulation process to move quickly: "This should move rapidly," he wrote at the end of his message on Truth Social.
The four companies mentioned by Trump control approximately 85% of beef processing in the country, a concentration that ranchers have been denouncing for decades because it limits their ability to negotiate prices and access consumers directly.
The Department of Justice had recently opened an antitrust investigation into the sector, as reported by the EFE agency.
However, analysts and media such as CNN warned that the legal and practical mechanics of the announcement are still unclear, given that all meat sold to the public must meet federal safety, health, and inspection requirements set by the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The announcement did not come as a surprise: two days earlier, Trump had indicated on Glenn Beck's show that he would be considering the possibility of easing regulations on meat processing plants, describing the industry as a monopoly controlled by "four places."
The political context is crucial. With the legislative elections in November just two months away, Trump is looking to solidify support from rural voters, who have shown signs of discontent with previous policies from the White House.
Among the measures that generated resistance among local producers is the expansion of the quota for tariff-free imports of Argentine beef, which increased from 20,000 to 80,000 metric tons annually in October 2025, a decision that U.S. ranchers viewed as a direct threat to their income.
That discomfort is compounded by rising prices: beef in the U.S. rose by 14.7% year-on-year by December 2025, significantly exceeding the average increase of 3.1% recorded across all food items, making it one of the most sensitive economic issues for both consumers and producers.
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