Leading US packaging companies are facing a proposed class action lawsuit alleging illegal price-fixing practices in the containerboard market.\n\nThe lawsuit was filed on 29 July 2025 in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by Artuso Pastry Foods Corp., a company that claims to have purchased containerboard products from one or more of the named defendants. The complaint asserts that the companies colluded to artificially raise prices for containerboard, linerboard, and finished packaging products in violation of federal antitrust law (15 U.S.C. § 1)\n\nThe companies named in the suit include:\n\n- Packaging Corporation of America\n- International Paper Company\n- Smurfit WestRock plc and WestRock CP, LLC\n- Smurfit Kappa North America, LLC\n- Georgia-Pacific LLC\n- Cascades Inc., Cascades USA Inc., and Cascades Holding US\n- Pratt Industries Inc.\n- Greif Inc.\n- Graphic Packaging International, Inc.\n\nThe plaintiff alleges that these companies coordinated pricing strategies and used industry meetings and communications to align pricing and output decisions, thereby eliminating competition and harming customers.\n\nThe case has been assigned to Judge Mary M. Rowland, with Magistrate Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling designated for preliminary proceedings.

US packaging companies accused of price-fixing

A class action lawsuit has been filed against major US packaging companies, alleging illegal price-fixing practices in the containerboard market. The lawsuit, filed by Artuso Pastry Foods Corp. in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claims that companies like Packaging Corporation of America, International Paper Company, and Smurfit WestRock plc colluded to artificially inflate prices for containerboard and packaging products in violation of federal antitrust law.