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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This Hill letter was sent to the Members of the United States Senate, opposing S. 2992, the "American Innovation and Choice Online Act." This bill is on the Legislative Leadership list for the “How They Voted” scorecard.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Chamber Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley issued the following statement today regarding the announcement of antitrust legislation expected to be introduced in the Senate next week:
This Hill letter was sent to Members of the House Judiciary Committee on H.R. 2891, the “Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act,” H.R. 2873, the “Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act Through Promoting Competition Act,” and H.R. 2884, the “Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Through Improvements to Patent Litigation Act.”
This Hill letter was sent to Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee opposing S. 1787, the “State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act of 2021.”
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In Franz Kafka’s The Trial, a man is prosecuted by a remote, inscrutable authority. With the nature of his offense unclear and the court’s jurisdiction ambiguous, the entire process becomes bewildering and interminable. As he navigates a labyrinth of bureaucratic traps, the proceedings themselves “gradually merge into the judgment.” Ultimately, Kafka’s character is deemed guilty, without ever hearing the charges against him or having a chance to defend himself.
