The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed a complaint in the district of Minnesota against a data company, Agri Stats, for facilitating anti-competitive practices in the U.S. meat industry through publishing price-related information exchanges. According to the DoJ, Agri Stats’ weekly reports on meat pricing and sales assisted meat companies to align their prices with competitors, potentially leading to price manipulation. Further, companies relying on Agri Stats’ reports account for over 90% of broiler chicken, 80% of pork, and 90% of turkey sales in the U.S. & that Agri Stats operates its information exchanges in a manner that prioritizes industry profits over fair competition.
