Trump orders investigation into food supply chains for possible price fixing

Food Dive reported the development on 2025-12-08. Under pressure to address rising grocery costs, the president directed new task forces to determine whether anticompetitive behavior exists, particularly among foreign-owned companies.

The report places the news in a wider commercial context. President Donald Trump ordered a federal investigation into U.S. food-related industries and foreign-controlled companies for potential price fixing as the administration faces pressure to address rising grocery costs.

For the food sector, the practical implications extend beyond the immediate announcement. The executive order empowers the DOJ and the FTC to bring enforcement actions against companies and propose new regulatory approaches. The Office of the Attorney General could also commence criminal proceedings, including grand jury investigations, upon evidence of collusion.

Attention now turns to how companies, customers and regulators respond. In the executive order, Trump called out meat processing, seed, fertilizer and equipment companies as having "vulnerabilities to price fixing and other anti-competitive practices." The president added that anticompetitive behavior from foreign-controlled corporations in particular threatens "the stability and affordability of America’s food supply.". Two major meatpackers have ties to.