The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Justice Department’s Antitrust Division have collectively filed 50 merger enforcement actions during the fiscal year 2022. As reported by the FTC, this demonstrates the highest enforcement activity seen in over two decades. These details were officially made public last week with the release of the agencies’ most recent Hart-Scott-Rodino Premerger Notification Program report.
The notification program was established under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. Its primary function is to provide alerts to the FTC and the Justice Department when a proposed merger or acquisition may potentially injure competition. Covered in this report is the fiscal year 2022, concluding on September 30, 2022.
FTC Chair, Lina Khan, underscored the agency’s ongoing commitment to diligently fulfill its statutory duty. She further asserted the agency’s role in protecting the American public from unlawful mergers and acquisitions. This surge in enforcement activity underlines the seriousness of the FTC’s mission.