International Competition Network 2020 Virtual Annual Conference

The Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission co-hosted the 19^th annual—and first virtual—International Competition Network (ICN) Conference, from September 14 to September 17, 2020.

The conference examined a range of competition enforcement and policy issues, including those involving the digital economy. Over 2500 delegates from around the world participated in the conference, including agency leadership and staff, as well as competition experts from international organizations and the legal, business, and academic communities.

Assistant Attorney General Delrahim opened the conference and participated in a showcase program that explored competition enforcement in the digital economy, including enforcement tools and international cooperation. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard Powers spoke on a panel discussing big data and cartelization. Deputy Assistant Attorney General for International and Policy, Rene Augustine, led the Division’s international team in the strategic development and implementation of the international conference. Adjacent to the conference, the Antitrust Division also held a Procurement Collusion Strike Force Showcase. The Showcase provided an overview of the Strike Force’s structure and investigative model, key priorities, such as data analytics and pandemic response, and statistics and results to date.

The ICN includes 140 competition agencies from 129 jurisdictions. It provides a forum for competition agencies to address enforcement and policy issues of common interest and to discuss ways that member agencies can more closely align their policies and procedures.