The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division has expanded its investigation into high American beef prices by issuing information requests to eight of the country’s largest grocery chains, including Walmart, Kroger, Publix, and Amazon.

The inquiry, initiated through letters sent in July, requires the retailers to submit internal records regarding retail sales, costs, profit margins, and market trend analyses for beef products. This follows earlier investigations into major meatpackers over alleged supply manipulation, which included a recent $82.5 million settlement by Tyson Foods.

The probe coincides with broader White House efforts to combat food inflation. President Trump announced a 90-day pause on out-of-quota tariffs for up to 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef, conditioned on the product being sold at 25% below current market rates.

The tariff suspension has drawn sharp criticism from domestic ranchers and Republican lawmakers, including Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who argue the policy undermines U.S. farmers rather than offering a systemic fix for consumer prices.