Smithfield Foods returned to the public stock market, spun off its European operations, and scaled back its live hog production. The company trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker SFD, shifting its primary business focus toward packaged meats while remaining majority-owned by China's WH Group.
Smithfield Foods, Inc., is an American pork producer and food-processing company based in Smithfield, Virginia, and majority owned by Hong Kong based WH Group. Founded in 1936 as the Smithfield Packing Company by Joseph W. Luter and his son, the company is the largest pig and pork producer in the world.
Smithfield Foods has been sued multiple times related to the disposal of hog waste using anaerobic lagoons. State governments have responded to the suits against Smithfield and similar litigation by strengthening ”Right-to-Farm” laws.
Shuanghui International (now known as the WH Group) bought Smithfield Foods in 2013. The deal, which was finalized and approved by U.S. regulators in September 2013, was valued at approximately $4.7 billion (or $7.1 billion including debt), marking the largest Chinese acquisition of an American company at that time.
But thanks to a recent $4.7 billion cash acquisition, Shuanghai International Holdings, the majority shareholder of Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co., China's largest meat processing enterprise, will now be the parent company of brands like Armour, Farmland and Healthy Ones.
Two Smithfield slaughterhouses in Isle of Wight County have long been the focus of environmental complaints. For years the plants have discharged treated hog wastes, rich in nutrients and other pollutants, into the Pagan River, a tributary of the James River and Chesapeake Bay.
Wollin said all U.S. products from Smithfield are made in one of its 50 facilities across America and that all of its products are produced in compliance with the standards and regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Company is providing its initial financial outlook for fiscal 2026 as follows: Total Company sales to be up low-single-digits compared to fiscal year 2025. Packaged Meats segment adjusted operating profit of between $1,100 million to $1,200 million.
Yes, Smithfield Market in London is still open for wholesale meat trading, operating Monday to Friday from midnight to 7:00 AM, though it is permanently closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
There have been reports of layoffs at Smithfield Foods, including some plant closures and workforce reductions, often related to market conditions or operational restructuring. However, the company continues to hire for various roles, and layoffs are not universally ongoing across all departments.
China is the largest pork-producing country in the world, and Muyuan Foodstuff Co. alongside the WH Group/Smithfield Foods conglomerate rank as the top corporate producers. China accounts for roughly 50% of total global pork production (producing over 59 million metric tons annually).
China mainly imports frozen pork and dark meat, with the latter accounting for more than half of the total import value. Major frozen pork and dark meat exporters include the United States, Denmark and Canada.
Yes, London's historic Smithfield Market is scheduled to close at its current Farringdon site by 2028. The City of London Corporation voted to end its operation of the historic site, though discussions and planning continue around potentially establishing a modern "New Smithfield" at an alternative location like Albert Island.
It's why families all over the world purchase our products every year. Your Family's Favorites! Smithfield® isn't only a leading provider of high-quality pork products. We're a leading provider of the most important part of any meal: premium, high-quality meat.
China's Shuanghui International (now known as the WH Group) bought Smithfield Foods in 2013 for $4.7 billion. The deal was announced in May 2013 and approved by U.S. regulators in September 2013.
China's WH Group (formerly known as Shuanghui International) owns Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer and processor in the United States. The Chinese meat giant bought the American company in 2013 for $4.7 billion.
Smithfield pork comes from hundreds of company-owned farms and thousands of independent family farms spread across the United States. The pigs are raised and processed in nearly 50 facilities across the U.S., with the world's largest pork processing plant located in Tar Heel, North Carolina.
The suspension comes as Washington and Ottawa have sparred in a heated dispute over trade tariffs. It is the latest blow for America's farm sector, which has been roiled by concerns that U.S. tariffs will spark retaliation from top importers that reduces demand for American agricultural products.
Commonly cited reasons for boycotting China include the alleged low quality of products, human rights issues, territorial conflicts involving China, support for separatist movements within China, and objection to more specific matters relating to China, including the government's mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic.
