U.S., CANADA AND MEXICO MEET TO DISCUSS ANTITRUST POLICIES

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website: DECEMBER 19, 2011 "WASHINGTON — The heads of the antitrust agencies of the United States, Canada and Mexico – Acting Assistant Attorney General Sharis A. Pozen of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, Chairman Jon Leibowitz of the Federal Trade Commission, Canadian Commissioner of Competition Melanie Aitken and President Eduardo Perez Motta of the Mexican Federal Competition Commission – met today to reaffirm their commitment to effective enforcement cooperation.  The discussions covered a wide range of enforcement and policy issues, including updates on merger policy and enforcement in the three jurisdictions and the sharing of recent experience in areas of mutual enforcement interest. “Working with our antitrust colleagues across both United States borders to ensure that antitrust enforcement is effective is good for businesses and consumers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Pozen.  “The department values its close law enforcement relationships with Canada and Mexico, and I look forward to our continued efforts to work together to combat anticompetitive activity that affects North America.” The United States, Canada and Mexico are parties to a series of bilateral antitrust cooperation agreements that commit their antitrust agencies to cooperate and coordinate with each other in order to make their antitrust policies and enforcement as consistent and effective as possible.  The three nations also are parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which includes a competition chapter that provides for cooperation among them in antitrust investigations."