The bombshell news last week that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating containerboard producers over pricing suggests that a similar civil case brought last year in the Northern District of Illinois is not frivolous, according to a legal expert.

Several companies — International Paper, Packaging Corporation of America and Smurfit Westrock — disclosed in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that they were subpoenaed by DOJ in late September. The subpoenas stem from a grand jury investigation in the Northern District of Illinois regarding the pricing and sale of containerboard in the United States. 

That criminal case is separate from the civil lawsuit filed in July 2025 that alleges the aforementioned containerboard producers created a “cartel” and engaged in price collusion to boost profits at the expense of customers.

Sometimes a civil complaint can spark the interest of DOJ’s Antitrust Division, “as appears to be the case here,” explained Wentworth-Ping. The containerboard companies that DOJ subpoenaed appear to align with the defendants in the civil case. Other actions that might prompt the DOJ to get involved are formal complaints or press coverage.

Unpacking the DOJ’s investigation of containerboard producers | Packaging Dive