Aggregate Concentration: An Empirical Study of Competition Law Solutions

Co-authors: Michael Gal and Thomas Cheng

Published in: Journal of Antitrust Enforcement, 2016

Abstract: Competition law is generally focused on competition in a market. Yet, as recent economic studies have clearly indicated, one of the main sources of competition concerns of jurisdictions around the world is the impact of high levels of aggregate concentration in their markets, when a small group of economic entities controls a large part of the economic activity through holdings in many markets. High levels of aggregate concentration can significantly impact competition and welfare…  The article attempts to explore the weight given—if at all—to aggregate concentration in the application of competition laws around the world. The analysis is based, inter alia, on the experiences of 35 different jurisdictions in dealing with aggregate concentration through competition law, based on a survey performed with the assistance of the UN Conference on Trade and Development. …more