Egg Prices Surge in USVI and Across the U.S. as DOJ Launches Investigation

The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a probe into the dramatic surge in egg prices across the country, a development that has drawn attention from both consumers and policymakers amid an ongoing avian influenza outbreak and rising cost-of-living concerns.   The investigation, reported by The Wall Street Journal and Forbes on March 7, aims to determine whether major egg producers have engaged in anti-competitive practices, such as collusion to inflate prices or restrict supply, or if the price hikes are solely attributable to external factors like the bird flu crisis.   Egg prices have reached unprecedented levels, with the average cost of a dozen large, Grade A eggs hitting $4.95 in January 2025 in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—surpassing the previous record of $4.82 set in January 2023. The cost of a dozen of eggs in the U.S. Virgin Islands are even higher, hitting $12.99 for certain grades. In some U.S.-mainland regions, prices have climbed higher...