The suit contends that the companies had “multiple opportunities to collude” on beef prices by trading competitively sensitive information at trade shows and other industry-related events.
Among the nine are Tyson Foods Inc., JBS SA, Cargill Inc., and National Beef.
The lawsuit said the nine accused account for more than 80 per cent of the U.S. beef supply.
JBS and Cargill have beef-packing plants in Alberta and Ontario and Canadian prices closely track prices in the United States.
So far there have been no meat price-fixing lawsuits in Canada despite years of lawsuits in the United States, and there is no word from the Bureau of Competition Policy in Ottawa that it has launched any investigations similar to those ongoing by the U.S. government.
