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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What is the Utah Statement? Critics of antitrust have been tough to pin down, they have often spoken in grand and emotionally loaded terms, leveled vague criticisms, all while being cagey about what they really want.
“It is a flawed premise that our antitrust laws no longer work and that the outcome in the market is better guided by government, not consumers. Any contemplated changes to our antitrust laws will impact all sectors of our economy. We urge members of Congress to refrain from relying on this one-sided staff report to guide future legislation.”
U.S. Chamber Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley issued the following statement in response to today’s House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on online platforms and market power.
Comments to the Federal Trade Commission in response to the FTC’s request for comment regarding employers’ use of non-compete agreements.
The relationship between antitrust and innovation is complex.
There are reasons for concern with this decision.
