Multiple major meat companies proposed a 7.98 million Canadian dollar court settlement on Thursday, July 9, 2026, to resolve allegations of conspiring to fix beef prices for consumers across Canada.
The agreement, which requires court approval, does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by the involved corporations.
Under the proposed terms, JBS USA Company, Swift Beef Company, JBS Packerland Inc., and JBS Canada ULC will jointly pay $7.49 million, while National Beef will contribute $495,000.
The nationwide legal action, originally filed in 2022, remains active against remaining co-defendants Cargill and Tyson.
Impact on Consumers
Statistics Canada data underscores the impact of soaring meat costs, revealing that average retail prices for a kilogram of striploin jumped from $21.94 in January 2017 to $35.30 in May 2026, while ground beef rose from $9.12 to $16.07 over the same period.
Conner Macdonald, a butcher and general manager at Windsor Quality Meats in Vancouver, stated that customers are increasingly switching to cheaper proteins like pork or chicken due to astronomical price hikes over the last eight years.
"Even with Christmas and Thanksgiving and all the holidays, it’s harder for people to justify getting the big prime rib for the whole family when it ends up being over $1,000 for them," said Macdonald.
The retail worker noted that distribution networks previously attributed the rising costs to factors such as tariffs, feed, and fertilizer.
Macdonald expressed optimism that the legal resolution might eventually lead to financial relief for consumers.
"It would be great to give money out to a lot of people, maybe bring the price down for everyone," he said.
The class-action certification ruling issued last year by British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Michael Thomas detailed allegations that senior meat industry executives secretly exchanged sensitive market information to manipulate livestock supplies and inflate consumer costs.
The lawsuit further alleges that the companies coordinated periodic reductions in cattle slaughter volumes and plant capacities to manage the Canadian beef supply.
Representatives for the three involved law firms, as well as the defendant meat companies, did not provide comments on the matter.
The exclusion terms specify that the settlement does not cover beef products purchased by the food service industry, including restaurants.
Settlement fund distribution guidelines will be determined during upcoming court approval hearings scheduled for September in British Columbia and December in Quebec.
