(NewsNation) — Americans are crying foul over egg prices, and the United States is looking to the rest of the world for help.
An outbreak of bird flu has devastated U.S. farmers, driving up the cost of eggs by nearly 60% from February 2024 to 2025, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
One way the Trump administration is trying to combat soaring prices is by nearly doubling the nation’s egg imports from Brazil, Reuters has reported.
Imported eggs, typically used for pet food, are now being used in processed foods like cake mixes and salad dressings. This helps take the strain off fresh eggs, so they can hit grocery shelves.
The Department of Agriculture has also launched efforts to help farmers recover from bird flu losses, improve biosecurity and fund vaccine research. The USDA has also eyed international egg suppliers — including Brazil, Turkey and South Korea — for assistance.
The Justice Department is investigating whether major egg producers have violated antitrust laws by sharing information about prices and supply.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last week told NewsNation egg prices should continue to fall, though Easter could cause a brief spike in costs.
“They may go back up a little bit, but hopefully we’re in a good spot,” Rollins said on “Morning in America.”
The administration is also considering regulation changes to combat the impact of bird flu. Millions of broiler chicken eggs — or eggs laid by chickens raised specifically for meat production — are destroyed because they don’t meet refrigeration requirements set by the Food and Drug Administration.
But advocates say these could be a valuable untapped resource. The FDA is reviewing a petition from the National Chicken Council to allow the sale of broiler chickens’ eggs, which could add about 360 million eggs to the market annually.
However, experts warn prices could still be volatile. Forecasts from the USDA’s Economic Research Service suggest egg prices could rise between 15% to 74.9% this year, Axios has reported.