Merger control: who approves brand deals?
Large brand acquisitions must be notified to competition regulators before closing; of 3 consumer-goods decisions recorded here, 3 were blocked, abandoned or cleared only after the buyer agreed to sell brands.
By jurisdiction
- ACCC
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission · Competition and Consumer Act 2010, section 50
0 decisions
- Bundeskartellamt
Bundeskartellamt (German Federal Cartel Office) · Act against Restraints of Competition (GWB), merger control
0 decisions
- Competition Bureau
Competition Bureau Canada · Competition Act (Part IX pre-merger notification)
0 decisions
- European Commission
European Commission, Directorate-General for Competition · EU Merger Regulation (Council Regulation 139/2004; previously 4064/89)
2 decisions
- JFTC
Japan Fair Trade Commission · Antimonopoly Act (business combination notification)
0 decisions
- SAMR
State Administration for Market Regulation of the People's Republic of China · Anti-Monopoly Law of the People's Republic of China
0 decisions
- CMA
United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority · Enterprise Act 2002 (voluntary notification, mandatory standstill once reviewed)
0 decisions
- DOJ Antitrust
United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division · Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act; Section 7 of the Clayton Act
1 decision
- FTC
United States Federal Trade Commission · Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act; Section 7 of the Clayton Act
0 decisions
Notable blocked and remedied consumer deals
| Date | Deal | Regulator | Outcome | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2013 | Constellation Brands / Corona (United States) and Modelo Especial | DOJ Antitrust | Cleared with remedies | divest brand: Corona (United States) → Constellation Brands; divest brand: Modelo Especial → Constellation Brands; divest brand: Pacífico → Constellation Brands; divest business → Constellation Brands |
| Sep 2000 | Unilever / Hellmann's and Knorr | European Commission | Cleared with remedies | divest business |
| Mar 2000 | Unilever / Colman's | European Commission | Cleared with remedies | divest business |
All recorded decisions
- DOJ Antitrust 1:13-cv-00127 (D.D.C.) — Cleared with remedies
- European Commission M.1990 — Cleared with remedies
- European Commission M.1802 — Cleared with remedies
Read: How divestiture remedies create new brand owners · Glossary