Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division issued the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement concerning their proposed rules to support enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act:
“The Justice Department commends the USDA for the new steps it announced today to strengthen enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act to improve competition in our agricultural markets. The Antitrust Division remains committed to vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws to protect American farmers, ranchers, and consumers, and to ensure they all benefit from robust competition. We stand ready to work hand in hand with the USDA to use our combined enforcement authorities to pursue these shared goals.”