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JBS, Brazilian Meatpacker, Lists on New York Stock Exchange Amid Controversy

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

JBS, one of the world's largest meatpackers, has successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange, giving it access to cheaper financing and a major victory in its comeback story. But the company's listing has been shrouded in controversy, with concerns about its business practices, including bribery, child labor, and environmental crimes in the Amazon rainforest.

Key Takeaways:

  • JBS, a Brazil-based company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange on June 13, 2025, despite facing ongoing court cases related to price-fixing, child labor, and environmental crimes in the Amazon rainforest.
  • The company's listing on the NYSE has provided it with access to a large pool of U.S. investors and a big flow of capital, allowing it to expand its operations in Africa and the Middle East.
  • JBS has been facing criticism for its business practices, including a $5 million donation to President Trump's inaugural committee, which has raised concerns about undue influence over the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
  • The company has admitted to paying bribes to over 1,800 officials in Brazil in exchange for government contracts and financing, leading to a $3.2 billion settlement in 2020.
  • JBS has been accused of unsavory practices, including hiring migrant children as young as 13 to work in its U.S. slaughterhouses and conspiring with other meatpackers to reduce U.S. beef supplies to artificially inflate prices.
  • The company has scaled up its lobbying efforts in recent years, hiring strategists with government experience and retaining lobbying firms with links to senators.

Statistics:

  • JBS holds millions of dollars in government contracts to supply public schools and food banks in the United States.
  • The company has operations in 180 countries and generated revenues last year of $77 billion.
  • JBS faces several billion dollars in ongoing criminal, civil, tax, and labor cases.
  • The company's subsidiary, Pilgrim's Pride, donated $5 million to President Trump's inaugural committee, exceeding the combined contributions of Amazon, Meta, Google, and Apple's chief executive.

Sources:

  • The New York Times, "JBS, Brazilian Meatpacker, Lists on New York Stock Exchange Amid Controversy," June 2025.
  • OpenSecrets, "JBS's lobbying expenditures"
  • Mighty Earth, "JBS faces billions in ongoing cases"
  • United States Department of Labor, "JBS Agrees to Pay $4 Million to Settle Children's Rights Law Violations"
  • Reuters, "JBS Meets Spending Target as It Pursues Expansion"

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