Tyson, Cargill Agree to Multi-Million-Dollar Settlements in Beef Price-Fixing Case

October 8, 2025
By Chris Moore

Tyson Foods and Cargill have agreed to pay a combined $87.5 million to settle a federal class-action lawsuit alleging they conspired to inflate U.S. beef prices by limiting supply.

According to court filings Monday in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota, Tyson will pay $55 million and Cargill $32.5 million under preliminary settlements that still require a judge’s approval. The agreements mark the first consumer settlements in the beef price-fixing litigation, which began in 2019.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys estimate the class includes about 36 million consumers across 26 states and the District of Columbia who indirectly purchased beef products — such as chuck, loin and ribs — between August 2014 and December 2019 from retailers including Walmart and Costco. The retailers are not defendants in the case.

Under the settlement terms, Tyson and Cargill agreed to cooperate with consumers pursuing claims against the remaining defendants, JBS USA and National Beef Packing, which have denied wrongdoing. An expert for the plaintiffs estimated total consumer damages at $1.9 billion.

The beef settlement follows Tyson’s separate $85 million deal last week resolving similar allegations in the pork industry. Tyson, Cargill, and JBS have each denied participating in price-fixing schemes.

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Callicrate note: We knew they were manipulating the markets in 1979. Now we finally make them pay a pittance of a settlement without the injunctive relief necessary to stop the stealing.