Trump Admin Keeps Strict Biden-Era Merger Rules, Defying Corporate Push for Easier Consolidation

The Trump administration will retain tough merger guidelines adopted under the Biden administration, dashing corporate hopes for looser consolidation rules.
Trump Admin Keeps Strict Biden-Era Merger Rules, Defying Corporate Push for Easier Consolidation
The Federal Trade Commission in Washington on Aug. 6, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
|Updated:
0:00

The Trump administration has announced it will retain the stringent merger review guidelines introduced by the Biden administration, disappointing Wall Street and Big Tech, which had hoped for a regulatory rollback that would ease corporate consolidation.

In memos issued on Feb. 18, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Department of Justice (DOJ) acting antitrust chief Omeed Assefi confirmed that the agencies will continue using the 2023 Merger Guidelines, which have faced sustained criticism from corporate interests since their implementation.
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
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