Markets Wired

The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice are extending the Feb. 11, 2020 deadline for comments on the draft Vertical Merger Guidelines. The deadline is now Feb. 26.

The FTC and DOJ also announced two upcoming joint public workshops on the Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines. The first workshop will take place on March 11 at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. The second workshop will take place on March 18 at FTC headquarters, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Both workshops are free and open to the public. Registration information, an agenda, directions to the event, and a list of speakers will be available prior to each workshop on the event webpage. Attendees should bring a valid government-issued photo ID (government badge, license, passport, etc.) and arrive in time to go through security. Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. (Instructions for seeking reasonable accommodations will soon be available on the event webpage.)

Comments on the draft guidelines can be submitted to VMG Comments, and must be received no later than Feb. 26, 2020. Commenters may indicate whether they are interested in speaking at the workshops. Speaking requests should indicate whether the proposed speaker is affiliated with any entity that has provided funding for research, analysis, or commentary on relevant topics.

The Commission vote approving the extension of the comment deadline was 5-0.

The Federal Trade Commission develops policy initiatives on issues that affect competition, consumers, and the U.S. economy. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.