Lawsuits Allege Canadian Beef Packers Fixed Prices

A pair of lawsuits allege that beef prices in Canada are unnecessarily high due to concentration in beef processing.

A case filed March 24 by the Belleau Lapointe law firm charges that the four defendants – Cargill, JBS Canada, Tyson Foods and Bational Beef Packing – have conspired since 2015 to drive up the price of beef. The suit states that the plaintiff’s plants control 85% of Canada’s meat-packing capacity.

The suit, filed in Quebec, follows a similar one filed in February in British Columbia. They seek damages on behalf of all Canadian beef purchasers, although judges must certify them as class actions first. One of the lawyers in the British Columbia suit told the Toronto Globe and Mail that his team plans to coordinate efforts with the Quebec lawyers.

A Cargill spokesperson told the Globe and Mail that “the claims lack merit” and that “we compete vigorously in the market and conduct ethical business.”