Illegal and anticompetitive mergers targeted by regulators

U.S. competition regulators have mounted an effort to tighten enforcement against illegal mergers, in line with President Joe Biden’s mandate for greater scrutiny to big business combinations.

The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission announced they are seeking public comment on how current merger guidelines can be updated to better detect and prevent illegal and anticompetitive deals in an increasingly consolidating corporate marketplace.

The agencies are stressing the importance of robust competition to the economy, workers, consumers and small businesses. In their request for public views on mergers, the regulators are stretching toward a broader definition of anticompetitive conduct.