To help supplement the loss of table egg production in the U.S., Turkey, which is one of the world's largest exporters of eggs, is expected to export 15,000 tons of eggs to the U.S. through July.
Sacramento, California – The Trump administration filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday against California and Governor Gavin Newsom, arguing that the state’s animal welfare laws—voter-approved initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of farm animals—violate federal law and are contributing to the rising cost of eggs across the country.
In a complaint filed by the Department of Justice, the administration seeks to block key provisions of California’s 2008 and 2018 animal confinement laws, which mandate that egg-laying hens be housed in cage-free systems with enough space to extend their limbs without touching another bird. The laws also impose similar requirements for breeding pigs and veal calves. Federal officials claim these regulations burden interstate commerce and conflict with the Egg Products Inspection Act of 1970.
“California has effectively prevented farmers across the country from using a number of agricultural production methods which were in widespread use and which helped keep eggs affordable,” the complaint reads. The Justice Department also called the regulations “unnecessary red tape” that does not advance consumer safety or welfare.
The legal challenge comes amid renewed scrutiny over egg prices, which have remained high since a nationwide spike earlier this year. While California’s requirements are not new, the complaint cites data showing a 20% price increase in the years following the passage of the state’s initial 2008 law. It does not, however, address the ongoing bird flu epidemic that devastated egg production in early 2025, causing prices in some U.S. cities to soar to over $6 per dozen.
California officials were quick to dismiss the lawsuit as politically motivated. “President Trump is back to his favorite hobby: blaming California for literally everything,” Governor Newsom’s press office said in a statement. “Next up: Gavin Newsom caused the fall of Rome and sent the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.”
Supporters of the state’s laws, including the Humane Society of the United States, argue that the regulations address inhumane treatment of farm animals and improve public health. “Locking farm animals in tiny cages is not only cruel, it increases the risk of food safety threats like salmonella and E. coli,” the organization said in a statement.
Still, the administration’s position is clear. “Americans across the country have suffered the consequences of liberal policies causing massive inflation for everyday items like eggs,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will use the full extent of federal law to restore American prosperity.”
The lawsuit marks the latest legal clash between Trump and Newsom, reviving a debate that the courts have seen before. Previous challenges to California’s confinement laws were dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court, most recently in 2023. Now, with egg prices under the microscope, the issue may once again become a national political flashpoint.
