Beef Class Action: $8M Proposed Settlement and 2026 Court Hearings

Two Canadian courts will hear approval applications for the Beef Class Action's proposed settlements in 2026. The settlements total $7,993,700, with a British Columbia hearing scheduled for September 10 in Vancouver and a Quebec hearing scheduled for December 1 in Montreal.

The official Beef Class Action website says the courts will decide whether the settlements are fair, reasonable and in the best interests of class members. The claims process is not open yet.

This class action exists because plaintiffs allege that companies involved in the Canadian Beef supply chain coordinated conduct that affected the supply and price of Beef. The proposed settlements would resolve claims against JBS and National Beef without an admission of wrongdoing, while the court process continues against other defendants.

Want to check if you're missing out on class action payouts? Read Canooq's Canadian class actions directory for other cases, deadlines and claim updates.

Beef Class Action at a glance

• Proposed settlement total: $7,993,700, made up of $7,498,700 from JBS and $495,000 from National Beef.
• Vancouver hearing: September 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at 800 Smithe Street in British Columbia.
• Montreal hearing: December 1, 2026 at 9:15 a.m. at 1, rue Notre-Dame Est in Quebec.
• Opt-out deadline: August 10, 2026. This is the deadline to send a signed written election if you do not want to participate.
• Claims: No claim form is open. The courts will approve a future process for distributing the settlement funds and accepting claims.

Who the Beef Class Action covers

The class actions cover people in Canada who bought raw Beef for personal use or resale after January 1, 2015. The definition excludes Beef Products and Beef purchased from the food service industry.

The official FAQ describes a British Columbia Settlement Class for people across Canada other than members of the Quebec Settlement Class. The Quebec Settlement Class covers people who purchased Beef in Quebec during the class period.

What the proposed settlements cover

JBS has agreed to pay $7,498,700 for the benefit of settlement class members. National Beef has agreed to pay $495,000. Both companies have also agreed to cooperate with the plaintiffs' claims against the non-settling defendants.

The settlements resolve disputed claims about an alleged conspiracy involving the supply and price of Beef sold in Canada. JBS and National Beef do not admit liability, fault or wrongdoing. The class actions continue against two other defendant groups.

What the courts will decide

At the Vancouver and Montreal hearings, the courts will decide whether to approve the settlements and the proposed legal fees. Class counsel will ask the courts to approve fees of 25% of the settlement amounts plus disbursements and applicable taxes.

If the courts approve the settlements, the funds will remain in an interest-bearing trust account while the courts decide how to distribute them. The settlement administrator will publish another notice on the official site explaining how to claim a share. The settlement funds will not be distributed at this stage.

What to do before the hearings

If you may be eligible and want to remain in the class actions, you do not need to submit a claim or register anything now. The claims process is waiting for the court approval hearings. Keep purchase records if you have them, watch the official site for the future claims process, and take no action unless you want to opt out or object. If you want to opt out, your signed written election must reach class counsel by August 10, 2026.

• Include your full name, current address, email address and telephone number.
• If you are writing for a company, include the company name and your position.
• State that you or the company want to opt out of the class actions.

The comment or objection deadlines are September 9, 2026 for people outside Quebec and November 30, 2026 for people in Quebec. The official FAQ lists the lawyers and delivery details for submissions.

Key Beef Class Action documents

The documents page includes the JBS and National Beef settlement agreements, short and long form notices, British Columbia and Quebec approval orders, and the press release.

Sources

• Beef Class Action official website
• Beef Class Action FAQ
• Beef Class Action documents
• Canooq Beef Class Action record
• Canooq class actions directory