Trump Signs Order Establishing Task Force To Probe Food Price Fixing
President Donald J. Trump on Saturday took one of the most aggressive steps yet in his second-term crackdown on corporate manipulation within America’s food industry, signing an executive order that launches specialized task forces inside both the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. Their mission: root out price fixing, foreign interference, and anti-competitive schemes that threaten the nation’s food security.
The directive — “Addressing Security Risks From Price Fixing and Anti-Competitive Behavior in the Food Supply Chain” — signals the administration’s determination to treat food affordability and supply stability as core national-security priorities, not mere economic concerns. Senior officials say the order reflects mounting evidence that concentrated corporate power, particularly when foreign-controlled, can distort markets and drive up costs for American families.
The order details vulnerabilities across multiple pillars of the U.S. food system — from meatpacking and seed production to fertilizer and agricultural equipment — and points to previous civil settlements involving tens of millions of dollars for similar price-fixing allegations.
According to the executive order, several food-supply sectors remain susceptible to collusion and anti-competitive behavior, with foreign-owned firms posing unique risks. Such actions, the directive warns, could jeopardize both the affordability and long-term stability of the U.S. food supply.
Under President Trump's directive, the attorney general and the chairman of the FTC must form dedicated enforcement units charged with investigating anti-competitive conduct throughout the entire food supply chain. A major focus of the probes will be examining whether foreign ownership or influence is driving higher prices for U.S. consumers or undermining national security.
The task forces will possess broad investigative authority, including the ability to recommend new regulatory measures and bring enforcement actions when warranted. If the DOJ unit uncovers criminal collusion, the attorney general is instructed to pursue legal proceedings — including potential grand jury investigations.
To ensure congressional oversight, the order requires both agencies to issue joint progress reports twice: once at the 180-day mark and again after one year. These briefings will be provided to the Speaker of the House, the Senate majority leader, and key committee chairs. The reports must avoid any non-public details related to ongoing investigations or litigation.
The task forces may also propose legislative reforms for Congress to consider.
This directive is the latest in a series of second-term actions aimed at strengthening America’s food security. In November 2025, President Trump called on the DOJ to investigate major meatpacking companies following allegations of price fixing, collusion, and other manipulation that contributed to rising beef prices.
“We will always protect our American Ranchers, and they are being blamed for what is being done by Majority Foreign Owned Meat Packers, who artificially inflate prices and jeopardize the security of our Nation’s food supply,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The order lands just as President Trump prepares to embark on a nationwide tour highlighting his administration’s efforts to bring down everyday costs for American families.
Fresh economic indicators gave the president additional momentum on Friday, with new data showing U.S. consumer sentiment rising for the first time in five months. Voters reported increased optimism about both inflation and their personal finances — a timely boost as Trump prepares to promote what he calls the strongest turnaround in household confidence in years.
Democrats, meanwhile, are scrambling to reframe the affordability debate ahead of the midterms, openly adopting a “Make America Affordable Again” (MAAA) slogan. Their messaging contrasts Trump’s recent White House ballroom renovation with the financial strains American families continue to face, particularly in housing.
President Trump is countering with a policy-driven economic agenda centered on tariff rebate payments, long-term 50-year mortgage options, and investment expansions — proposals he will spotlight during his tour. According to the New York Post, the president will open the roadshow Tuesday at a casino in northeastern Pennsylvania, where he will highlight economic achievements his administration considers major wins: lower gas prices, what he describes as $100 billion in secured energy and artificial-intelligence investments for the battleground state, and his approval of significant Japanese investment in U.S. Steel.