USDA Proposes New Rule to Clarify Unfair Practices in the Livestock, Meat, and Poultry Industries

On June 25, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new initiative to support the Biden Administration’s goal of creating a fairer, more competitive, and resilient meat and poultry supply chain. The USDA’s proposed Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets rule aims to address longstanding challenges in the interpretation of unfairness and competitive injury within these sectors.

The proposed rule seeks to clarify enforcement standards under the Packers and Stockyards Act. It provides specific tests for identifying unfair practices that harm individual participants or the market as a whole. This proposal is part of a series of USDA actions under the Packers and Stockyards Act aimed at enhancing transparency, preventing discrimination, and promoting market fairness in the livestock and poultry industries.