Submitted by the OAS Trade Unit to the FTAA Working Group on Competition Policies

Argentina	Brazil	Canada	Colombia	Costa Rica
Jamaica	Mexico	Peru	United States	Venezuela

Argentina

I. Recent Developments and Changes in Laws and Policies
II. Enforcement of Competition Laws and Policies

A. Anticompetitive Practices
1. Summary
2. Significant Cases
III. Institutional Strengthening
IV. International Affairs
Annex 1. Opinion of the CNDC on the American Express-VISA Case

Brazil

I. Recent Developments and Changes in Laws or Policies
II. Enforcement of Competition Laws and Policies
A. Anticompetitive Practices
1. Significant Cases
B. Mergers and Economic Concentrations
1. Significant Cases
III. Regulatory and Trade Policy Matters
IV. International Affairs
A. Harmonization of Competition Policies in Mercosur, FTAA and the European Community
B. Memorandum of Understanding between Brazil and Argentina on the Defense of Competition
Stastistical Annex

Canada

Introduction
I. Recent Developments and Changes in Laws or Policies
II. Enforcement of Competition Laws and Policies
A. Resources
B. Significant Cases
1. Criminal Matters
2. Civil Matters
3. Marketing Practices
C. Mergers and Economic Concentrations
1. Summary
2. Significant Cases
III. Regulatory and Trade Policy Matters
IV. International Affairs

Colombia

I. Recent Developments and Changes in Laws and Policies
II. Application of Competition-Related Law and Policy
A. Anti-competitive practices
1. Summary
2. Significant cases
B. Mergers and economic combinations
1. Summary
2. Significant cases
III. Regulatory and Trade-Policy Considerations
IV. Consultation, Information and Other Initiatives
V. Proceedings before the Administrative Law Courts
A. The Council of State
B. The Administrative Tribunal of Cundinamarca
VI. International Matters
A. G-3
B. Andean Group
C. ALCA
D. International Cooperation
VII. Activities to Instill a Competition-Oriented Mindset

Costa Rica

Introduction
I. Recent Developments and Changes in Laws or Policies
II. Enforcement of Competition Laws and Policies
A. Anticompetitive Practices
1. Summary
2. Significant Cases
B. Mergers and Economic Concentrations

Jamaica

I. Recent Developments and Changes in Laws or Policies
II. Enforcement of Competition Laws and Policies
A. Anticompetitive Practices
1. Summary
2. Significant Cases
B. Mergers and Economic Concentrations
1. Summary
2. Significant Cases
III. Regulatory and Trade Policy Matters
IV. International Affairs
V. Other Consultations/Information and Enforcement Initiatives

Mexico

I. Recent Developments and Changes in Laws or Policies
II. Enforcement of Competition Laws and Policies
A. Anticompetitive practices
1. Summary
2. Significant cases
B. Mergers and Economic Concentrations
1. Summary
2. Significant cases
III. Regulatory and Trade Policy Matters
IV. International Affairs
A. Bilateral relations with the United States
B. International Cooperation
C. Regional Integration Arrangements
1. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
2. Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)
3. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

D. International Organizations
1. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
2. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
V. Other Consultations/Information and Enforcement Initiatives

Peru

I. Recent Developments and Changes in Laws or Policies
II. Enforcement of Competition Laws and Policies
A. Anti-competitive Practices
B. Economic Mergers and Concentrations
III. Regulatory and Trade Policy Matters
IV. International Affairs

United States

Introduction
I. Recent Developments and Changes in Laws or Policies
A. Changes in Antitrust Rules, Policies or Guidelines
B. Proposals to Change Antitrust Laws, Related Legislation or Policies
II. Enforcement of Antitrust Laws and Policies: Action Against Anticompetitive Practices
A. Department of Justice and FTC Statistics
B. Antitrust Cases in the Courts
C. Statistics on Private and Government Cases Filed During FY 1996
D. Significant DOJ and FTC Enforcement Actions
E. Business Reviews Conducted by the Department of Justice
III. Enforcement of Antitrust Laws and Policies: Mergers and Concentrations
A. Department of Justice and FTC Merger Statistics
B. Significant Merger Cases
IV. Regulatory and Trade Policy Matters
A. Regulatory Policies
B. Department of Justice Trade Policy Activities
V. New Studies Related to Antitrust Policy
A. Antitrust Division Economic Analysis Group Discussion Papers
B. Commission Economic Reports, Economic Working Papers and Miscellaneous Studies

Venezuela

Introduction
I. Recent Developments and Changes in Laws or Policies
II. Enforcement of Laws and Policies

A. Anticompetitive practices
1. Summary
2. Significant Cases
B. Mergers and Concentrations
1. Summary
2. Significant Cases

III. Regulatory and Trade Policy Matters

A. Privatization
1. Industria Láctea Venezolana C.A. INDULAC bidding process
2. Process of privatization in the aluminum sector
B. Opinions on laws

IV. International Activities

A. Technical cooperation and training programs
B. International forums
C. Efforts at trade integration

This document was prepared by the Organization of American States at the request of the FTAA Working Group on Competition Policy at its Third Meeting held on January, 29-31, 1997, in Lima, Peru. The document contains publicly available information, which was submitted by the competition agencies of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, United States and Venezuela and edited according to the methodology previously agreed by the Working Group. This document aims at contributing to a better understanding of the development and enforcement of competition policy in the Hemisphere. The criterias, cases and activities reported do not necessarily represent the official position of the governments of the countries included in this document.