President Trump signed an executive order today to expand meat processing and boost competition in livestock markets, directing the Department of Agriculture to modernize inspections and create new pathways for farmers and ranchers to process and sell meat across state lines.
The order addresses what the White House describes as a consolidated meatpacking industry where the four largest beef packers now control 85 percent of all purchases of steers and heifers, compared to just 36 percent four decades ago. Ground beef cost $6.89 per pound on average in July 2026, up 10 percent from a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The executive order directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prioritize investigations into violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act, a 1921 law that prohibits anticompetitive conduct in livestock markets. The administration will increase federal resources for these investigations and review existing policies under the Act to strengthen protections for producers.
The order also mandates that the USDA modernize meat inspection standards to focus on core food safety priorities while boosting processing efficiency and technology. It aims to remove what the administration calls “unnecessary and burdensome requirements that do not support essential food safety needs.”
Trump’s approach parallels earlier efforts to address meatpacking consolidation. In July 2021, President Biden issued an executive order on promoting competition in the American economy that similarly targeted meat and poultry processing and directed the USDA to consider issuing new rules. Biden’s order also aimed to expand meat processing capacity and increase competition in the sector.
The Trump administration is establishing a “one stop shop” resource and coordinator position within the Department of Agriculture to expand federal licensing options and connect producers to inspection resources. The order directs the USDA to provide additional resources and training for small and very small meat processors, expand interstate market access for eligible meat products, and streamline processes to increase state participation in federal-state cooperative inspection programs.
A new “Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers” loan program will help small and regional processors continue operations, expand their footprint, and increase diversity of animal proteins being processed. The White House noted that state-inspected small processors are currently unable to sell their products outside their own state without heavy regulatory approval, a barrier the order aims to remove.
The order comes after Trump pledged in late August to allow farmers and ranchers to process their own food, calling dominant meatpackers a “nasty monopoly.” The Justice Department has been investigating whether major meatpacking companies are engaging in price-fixing and anticompetitive conduct, an effort the administration plans to intensify.
Sources
- The White House — Fact sheet on the executive order signed September 4, 2026, detailing directives for modernized meat inspections, Packers and Stockyards Act enforcement, loan programs, and state inspection participation
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Ground beef pricing data for July 2026
- New York Times — Reporting on beef price increases and cattle supply challenges
- Federal Register — Biden’s July 2021 executive order on promoting competition in the American economy and its provisions for meat and poultry processing
