Trump Plans Order to Expand Independent Meat Processing, but Details Remain Unreleased

President Trump said legal documents are being drafted to let farmers and ranchers process more of their own meat. USDA also promised changes allowing more interstate sales, added support for small processors and withdrawal of outdated guidance, but no order or policy text had been released.

The Catch

The announcement targets a real bottleneck: four firms control about 85% of U.S. beef processing. But expanding small-scale processing is not the same as breaking up those firms, and the administration also plans to rescind Biden-era competition rules. The antitrust effect depends on the forthcoming details.