https://archive.ph/H9cmO

CHICAGO—Smithfield Foods Inc, the world’s biggest pork processor, said on Thursday it is temporarily closing a plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, because of the CCP virus, the latest disruption to the U.S. food supply chain from the outbreak.

The company will suspend operations in a large section of the pork plant on April 11 and completely shutter it on April 12 and April 13, after employees tested positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, according to a statement.

The name caught my attention since I read this earlier today:

10 iconic American companies owned by Chinese investors

This $7.1-billion-dollar deal, completed in 2013, remains the largest purchase of an American firm by a Chinese company. Virginia-based Smithfield Foods has been an icon of the American food industry and is best known for its hams (especially its holiday ham). The deal spurred controversy and concern at the time, but Smithfield has thrived, adding jobs and hitting a sales record in 2014.

You can see what brands WH Group owns http://www.wh-group.com/c/index.php

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Meat-supplier-WH-Group-expands-Europe-presence-amid-Beijing-s-M-A-curb

This is how China ends up owning more than we know. Chinese company buys Smithfield Foods (retains name). Then Smithfield Foods later expands and buys: California-based Clougherty Packing (Numerous brands included, like Farmer John and Saag's Specialty Meats)

Acquisition of Smithfield Foods

On 29 May 2013, Shuanghui announced its intention to buy Smithfield Foods for $34 per share, or about US$4.72 billion total. Including assumed debt, the total value of the deal was about $7.1 billion. The agreed purchase price represented a 31% premium over Smithfield's market price at the time when the deal was announced.[4] The two sides negotiated for four years prior to their agreement.[1]

Before it was finalized, the deal had to be approved by Smithfield shareholders and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.[4] It was ultimately approved by Smithfield shareholders on September 24, 2013, and the merger was to be completed two days later.[14]

Smithfield CEO Larry Pope stated the deal would "[preserve] the same old Smithfield, only with more opportunities and new markets and new frontiers."[4] No Chinese pork would be imported to the United States, he stated, but rather Shuanghui desired to export American pork. There is a growing demand for foreign food products in China due to recent food scandals.[4] Smithfield's existing management team would remain intact and no major changes to its workforce would occur.[4] Analyst Derek Scissors said companies such as Shuanghui are "not looking to cause any trouble in the American market ...They want to gain from what the U.S. is able to do."[4] China has been a net importer of pork since 2008.[1]

The deal was the largest ever takeover of a U.S. company by a Chinese company,[4] roughly doubling the number of US jobs tied to direct investment by China.[7] Smithfield ceased to be publicly traded at the deal's completion.[4]

In July 2013, Shuanghui announced its plan to list Smithfield on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after completing the takeover. The IPO was expected to see the firm valued at around $4 billion.[15] However, the IPO plan was ultimately scrapped in 2014.[16]

In 2016, WH Group's profits increased by more than 17 percent. This increase in profitability was primarily driven by expansion of Smithfield Foods.[17]

In 2016, Smithfield Foods acquired California-based Clougherty Packing from Hormel Foods for $145 million. Numerous brands were included in the acquisition such as Farmer John and Saag's Specialty Meats. Clougherty had a large selection of pork products and a large sales network in the southwestern United States. Smithfield also acquired hog farms in Arizona, California, and Wyoming as part of the deal.[18]

In 2017, Smithfield Foods acquired the remaining 66.5% of the equity in Pini Polonia. After the acquisition, it became wholly-owned by Smithfield Foods. Pini Polonia has a slaughterhouse in Poland. The firm also has facilities in Italy and Hungary. The deal included the acquisition of Pini Polska, Hamburger Pini, and Royal Chicken. The price paid was not disclosed.[19]

https://www.globalmeatnews.com/Article/2017/06/01/Smithfield-acquires-three-Polish-meat-companies