US merger rules get tougher

The 13 new guidelines proposed by the Justice Department and FTC are part of an effort to curb the rise of companies that seek to dominate their industries by buying up rivals. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: US antitrust agencies stepped up the Biden administration’s crackdown on mergers and acquisitions with a sweeping overhaul of rules the government uses to determine whether deals violate competition law.

The changes come on the heels of several bruising defeats for the government in blocking vertical mergers.