Officials from the U.S., Canada and Mexico Participate in 2017 Trilateral Meeting in Washington D.C. to Discuss Antitrust Enforcement

Antitrust agency heads from the United States, Canada and Mexico meet today at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., to discuss their ongoing work to ensure fair and effective antitrust enforcement and increased cooperation among the nations. 

The meeting includes Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Canadian Commissioner of Competition John Pecman, and President Alejandra Palacios of the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission.  

The discussions will cover a wide range of topics including developments and priorities, antitrust and the digital economy, and future opportunities for cooperation and convergence on sound antitrust principles.

“Today we welcome our close partners in antitrust enforcement from Canada and Mexico.  Close cooperation and convergence around sound economic principles with our international partners is a key priority for the Antitrust Division,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim.  “With increasingly interconnected markets, our working relationships with Mexico and Canada are strengthened through meetings like this, and further our efforts to effectively work together to block price fixing cartels that harm consumers, review cross-border transactions and prepare ourselves to tackle the policy challenges of tomorrow.” 

“Maintaining and strengthening the already close bonds with our nearest partners is a key international priority,” said Federal Trade Commission Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen.  “We have much in common with Canada's Competition Bureau and Mexico's COFECE, including reviewing mergers with cross-border effects and sharing approaches to competition advocacy.  By working together to promote good competition policy globally, we benefit consumers in all of our countries.”

The 1995 antitrust cooperation agreement between the United States and Canada, the 1999 agreement between the United States and Mexico and the 2001 agreement between Canada and Mexico laid the foundation for these meetings.  The agreements commit the antirust agencies to coordinate and cooperate with each other in an effort to ensure the most consistent and effective antitrust enforcement.