Thai Union’s Chicken of the Sea settles price-fixing suits
San Diego, CA — Thai Union Group’s US shelf-stable operation has reached an agreement with some of its biggest customers, retailer Target and broadline distributors US Foods and Sysco, resolving lawsuits that had alleged the companies had been damaged by the canner's price-fixing.
According to documents filed in federal court in San Diego, California, the plaintiffs and Thai Union's Tri-Union Seafoods, which trades as Chicken of the Sea International have requested that the terms of the settlement remain sealed.
The court documents show that the plaintiffs have requested their lawsuits be dismissed.
In 2018, Tri-Union reached a settlement with US retailer Walmart that involved payment of an undisclosed cash sum and an agreement to participate in activities to promote tuna sales. These activities included the launch of new innovative products across Walmart stores. Walmart is the largest retailer for canned tuna in the US.
Tri-Union was first tuna producer to engage the US Department of Justice (DOJ) as a whistleblower in the probe of price fixing in the tuna sector.
In May 2017, Walmart filed an amended complaint against Thai Union and its US operation, as well as Bumble Bee Foods and StarKist & Co, as well as others.