Antitrust Laws: Promoting Competition and Free Markets
Critically important but commonly misunderstood, antitrust laws are meant to promote competition and protect consumers. Here’s everything you need to know.
America's antitrust laws promote competition and benefit consumers.
Antitrust laws ensure competition in a free and open market economy, which is the foundation of any vibrant economy. And healthy competition among sellers in an open marketplace gives consumers the benefits of lower prices, higher quality products and services, more choices, and greater innovation.
The core of U.S. antitrust law was created by three pieces of legislation: the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the Clayton Antitrust Act. These laws have evolved along with the market, vigilantly guarding against anti-competitive harm that arises from abuse of dominance, bid rigging, price fixing, and customer allocation.
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U.S. legislative proposals could undermine U.S. economic and security interests and strengthen foreign rivals without any apparent benefit to U.S. consumers.
America's Antitrust Laws: Explained in 60 Seconds
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Antitrust laws ensure competition thrives, providing consumers with lower prices and higher-quality products and services. However, some seek to rewrite these laws and undermine consumer power in the marketplace. Before Congress starts making unnecessary and harmful changes, it’s important to set a few things straight.
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While some in Congress consider new antitrust legislation, here's why maintaining the consumer welfare standard is vitally important.
Pending bills would substantively alter antitrust law in ways that would sap our economy’s potential for future growth and innovation.
The procedures manual summarizes the procedures the FTC follows to execute its responsibilities for the Commission decision making process.
The Chamber submitted comments on competition in the seeds, food retail, and fertilizer markets.
Rather than blaming American business for rising food prices, policymakers should remember that monetary policy remains the best tool for fighting inflation.
The practice of common ownership both promotes stability and improves the performance of publicly traded companies.
The Chamber and a range of industry groups sent a coalition letter to the FTC and DOJ on its efforts to revise the merger guidelines.
The Chamber welcomes updates to the merger guidelines but warns against attempts to rewrite antitrust law.
Before such drastic changes are made to America's antitrust laws, it’s important to understand the benefits of merger activity for consumers and the economy as well as the government’s highly successful track record in challenging problematic mergers.
