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The Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice will host a series of listening forums to hear from those who have experienced firsthand the effects of mergers and acquisitions beyond antitrust experts, including consumers, workers, entrepreneurs, start-ups, farmers, investors, and independent businesses. The four forums will be held virtually over the next three months and helmed by FTC Chair Lina M. Khan and Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division.
The four forums will focus on industries and labor markets that are commonly impacted by mergers that may reduce competition. The dates are as follows:
The listening forums will be open to the public, webcast on the FTC’s website, transcribed, posted online, and included as part of the public record.
FTC Chair Lina M. Khan and Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter will attend each event with staff from both agencies. At each event, Chair Khan and Assistant Attorney General Kanter will provide a brief introduction followed by remarks from each speaker. Speakers will include independent business owners, entrepreneurs, farmers, workers, and other market participants. At the conclusion of the speakers’ remarks, members of the public will have an opportunity to comment. Speaker registration is full at this time. Due to challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis, these forums will be held virtually. Additional forums may be added at a later date.
The forums will supplement the agencies’ recent request for comments on merger enforcement guidelines to ensure that the agencies hear from affected groups who might not otherwise participate in the process. The agencies have also extended the deadline for written comments submitted through regulations.gov. Comment submission will be open through April 21, 2022.
In January, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division launched a joint public inquiry aimed at strengthening enforcement against illegal mergers. Recent evidence indicates that many industries across the economy are becoming more concentrated and less competitive – imperiling choice and economic gains for consumers, workers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. These problems are likely to persist or worsen due to an ongoing merger surge that has more than doubled merger filings from 2020 to 2021. To address mounting concerns, the agencies are soliciting public input on ways to modernize federal merger guidelines to better detect and prevent illegal, anticompetitive deals in today’s modern markets.
In addition to the public comment period and these listening forums, the enforcement agencies will hold an Enforcers Summit on April 4, 2022. The summit will include conversations about merger enforcement as well as discussions on how to work with industry regulators as part of a whole of government approach to competition policy.
For more information on these listening forums please visit the event page.
The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. You can learn more about how competition benefits consumers or file an antitrust complaint. For the latest news and resources, follow the FTC on social media, subscribe to press releases and read our blog.