Canadians who made beef purchases after 2015 may qualify for a portion of nearly $8 million in a potential settlement with companies accused of price-fixing. Several Canadian law firms announced that JBS USA Company, Swift Beef Company, JBS Packerland Inc., and JBS Canada ULC agreed to pay $7.49 million, while National Beef agreed to pay $495,000.
The agreement is subject to court approval and does not imply any admission of guilt by the companies involved. A settlement hearing for residents in all provinces except Quebec is set for September 10, with the Quebec hearing scheduled for December 1 this year.
The class-action lawsuit, filed in 2022, alleged that beef-selling companies took part in an illegal scheme concerning the supply and pricing of beef in Canada.
Various legal teams, including CFM Lawyers LLP in B.C., Strosberg Wingfield Sasso LLP in Ontario, and Belleau Lapointe LLP in Quebec, initiated the settlement. Notably, the settlement excludes beef products purchased by the food service industry, such as restaurants.
Ongoing class actions are proceeding against specific defendants from Cargill and Tyson. Canadians eligible for participation in the settlement who wish to opt out, potentially to file their own lawsuit, must do so by August 10.
This development in the beef industry follows an earlier case where Canadians received compensation in May related to a class action involving bread price-fixing among multiple companies. Loblaw and its parent company George Weston Ltd. settled the bread price-fixing class action in 2024, agreeing to pay $500 million. Consumers who bought bread between 2001 and 2021 were eligible to apply for compensation.