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Keysight/Spirent: Consent Negotiations Between Companies, DOJ Enter Final Stages

Keysight Technologies’ 1.16 billion pound ($1.5 billion) bid for testing and measuring equipment provider Spirent is advancing toward antitrust clearance in the U.S., sources familiar with the matter...

May 16, 2025 Read Now >

Synopsys/Ansys, Keysight/Spirent: Optimism Grows That SAMR Will Approve Chip-Related Deals, Buoyed by U.S.-China Talks’ Progress

The prospect has grown that two high-profile semiconductors transactions—Synopsys’s proposed acquisition of Ansys and Keysight Technologies’ pending purchase of Spirent Communications—will be cleared by China’s antitrust authority after the Asian country and the U.S. over the...

May 14, 2025 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: Indian Watchdog Settles Google Smart TV Case; SAMR Warns CK Hutchison/BlackRock Against Evading Port Deal Review; KTFC Ends Microsoft Probe; Singapore Regulator Clears Omnicom/IPG

Indian watchdog settles with Google. The Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) recent settlement with Google (GOOG) creates a path for other U.S. tech giants to come forward and resolve their cases with the regulator. On April 21, the CCI issued its first-ever settlement order. The...

May 05, 2025 Read Now >

Focus Media/Xinchao Media: Elevator Advertising Giant’s Planned Takeover of Rival Could Face Close SAMR Scrutiny

Shanghai display advertising giant Focus Media Group’s proposed $1.3 billion takeover of rival Xinchao Media Group, which would expand the buyer’s Chinese empire for ads posted in elevators, will face close scrutiny from China’s antitrust authority, legal practitioners and industry...

Apr 30, 2025 Read Now >

U.S. tariffs on Chinese plastic manufacturers

USMCA ‘Tariff-Shift’ Provisions Offer ‘Massive’ Incentive for Plastics Manufacturers to Route Supply Chains Through Mexico Rather than Rebuild Manufacturing Capacity in U.S.

A provision in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a free trade agreement negotiated by the first Trump administration, could enable Chinese plastics manufacturers to reduce their tariff burden, according to lawyers, supply chain experts, and an industry executive....

Apr 30, 2025 Read Now >

Omnicom/IPG: Indian Regulator Poised to Approve Mega Advertising Agency Deal Soon

India’s antitrust regulator is set to greenlight advertising behemoth Omnicom’s (OMC) proposed $13 billion acquisition of rival Interpublic Group (IPG) in the coming weeks, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deal, filed with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on...

Apr 25, 2025 Read Now >

TSMC Poised to Extend Chip Manufacturing Monopoly into Advanced Packaging, Industry Participants Say

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) is poised to leverage its microchip manufacturing dominance to box competitors out of the increasingly important advanced packaging market, semiconductor industry participants told The Capitol Forum. TSMC has an effective monopoly in the...

Apr 16, 2025 Read Now >

SAMR Raids DuPont Office, Probe Likely Focuses on Alleged Abuse of Monopoly Power in Tyvek Market

Case handlers at China’s antitrust authority conducted a surprise inspection of the Shanghai office of DuPont (DD) last week amid an investigation of the U.S. chemical giant for alleged anticompetitive conduct, according to sources familiar with the matter. The State Administration for...

Apr 09, 2025 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: SAMR Head Outlines Increased Platform Regulation; Hong Kong Regulator Announces a First in Its Criminal Convictions; Australia Issues Guidance on Merger Reform Transition; Taiwan, U.S. to Scrutinize ASMedia/Techpoint

The Asia Antitrust Agenda is a biweekly column showcasing key regulatory developments in the region. This week, The Capitol Forum looks at comments from head of SAMR Luo Wen on plans to increase oversight of digital platforms this year, guidance published by the Australian Competition and...

Mar 10, 2025 Read Now >

U.S. Launches Trade War Against Canada, China and Mexico

The Trump Administration on Tuesday raised tariffs on its three largest trading partners—Mexico, China and Canada—and in doing so, launched America’s broadest and most consequential trade salvo since the Great...

Mar 04, 2025 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: KTFC Balances Big Tech Concerns Against Pressures to Uphold U.S. Relationship; China Eases FDI Rules; Taiwan Issues Environmental Guidelines; Australia Releases Airline Competition Report

This is the inaugural edition of The Asia Antitrust Agenda, a biweekly column showcasing key regulatory developments in the region. KFTC juggles platform regulations, potential U.S. trade conflict. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) will closely engage with the U.S. government over...

Feb 24, 2025 Read Now >

Some EU Member States Weigh Urging Retaliatory Measures Against U.S. Tariffs, Raising Risks for American M&As on Continent

Some European Union member states are considering whether to urge the European Commission to invoke a powerful new trade tool in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s reinstatement this month of 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, sources familiar with the matter said. The...

Feb 24, 2025 Read Now >

China Appears to Reverse Course and Champion AI Development With Few Restrictions

After leading global efforts to regulate artificial intelligence, China appears to be reversing course, stressing the need to encourage innovation and advances in the vital...

Feb 20, 2025 Read Now >

Lenovo/Infinidat: Bid for Data Storage Firm Provides Test for CFIUS Under New Administration

Lenovo Group’s (HKSE: 992) proposed acquisition of Israeli-American data storage company Infinidat is shaping up as a critical litmus test for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) under the Trump administration, according to a Capitol Forum...

Jan 29, 2025 Read Now >

Hewlett Packard Enterprise/Juniper Networks: DOJ Leans Toward Suit, Schedules Meeting With Companies’ Representatives Tomorrow

Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) proposed Juniper Networks (JNPR) acquisition enters a perilous phase as DOJ is scheduled to meet with the companies’ representatives tomorrow to discuss that it’s leaning toward suing to block the $14 billion deal, according to sources familiar...

Jan 27, 2025 Read Now >

Antitrust Agenda: Caffarra Conference Thursday; Analysis of Staffers from the Texas AG Joining National Economic Council; BlackRock Case’s Antitrust Policy Implications; Recap of Ferguson’s First Week as FTC Chair

Christina Caffarra’s conference “The Perfect Storm: A Time of Truth for Europe” is this Thursday, January 30. Cristina Caffarra’s annual must-attend conference on competition, trade, and industrial policy takes place this Thursday in-person in Brussels and livestreamed. Caffarra...

Jan 27, 2025 Read Now >

Synopsys/Ansys: Deal Enters Phase 2 SAMR Review, but Could Face Complications from U.S.-China Trade Tensions

Synopsys’ (SNPS) proposed $35 billion buyout of Ansys (ANSS) last week entered an in-depth phase 2 merger review in China, as regulators start to ask market participants about the tie-up of the two chip-design software makers, sources familiar with the matter...

Jan 10, 2025 Read Now >

Merger Monthly: Scramble Over AI Companies Calls to Mind Past Tech Battles—And Enforcers’ Response to Them

For those not around for the decades-long string of events that led to Big Tech becoming the target of antitrust enforcers, you’re in luck. Companies’ current fights for dominance in artificial intelligence should give you an idea of what you missed in the development of Internet...

Jan 07, 2025 Read Now >

Rio Tinto/Arcadium Lithium: Spokesperson for House Panel Monitoring China’s Rise Raises Concerns About Deal

Rio Tinto’s (RIO) attempted takeover of Arcadium Lithium (ALTM) is sparking concern on a U.S. House committee focused on limiting China’s power over key technologies and raw...

Dec 02, 2024 Read Now >

Merger Monthly: Tapestry/Capri Decision Encouraging for Enforcers Seeking to Build Cases With Documents

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon last month in her Tapestry/Capri decision ever so slightly nudged documents toward the top of the evidence pile. Her reliance on company slide deck presentations, strategy papers and executives’ emails not only resulted in a victory for the FTC but...

Nov 12, 2024 Read Now >

Siemens/Altair: Parties’ Deep Chinese Ties, Industry Consolidation Could Trigger SAMR Review; Company Spokesperson Says Deal Should Obtain Clearances

Siemens’s $10.6 billion bid for Altair Engineering could trigger a review by the Chinese antitrust authority due to both companies’ deep business ties to the Asian country and ongoing consolidation in the design simulation software sector, China-based lawyers and industry analysts...

Nov 11, 2024 Read Now >

Rio Tinto/Arcadium Lithium: Proposed Acquisition of Critical U.S. Lithium Producer Likely to Face Intense National Security Review

Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto’s (RIO) proposed $6.7 billion acquisition of Arcadium Lithium (ALTM), which produces a key component of the rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, energy and military technologies, and mobile devices, likely will face intense scrutiny...

Oct 25, 2024 Read Now >

BIOSECURE Act Could Aid U.S. Contract Research Organizations Hurt by Monkey Supply Chain Disruption; Supporters Target Passage in Must-Pass Defense Bill

U.S. drug development companies known as contract research organizations (CROs) continue to be stymied by supply chain issues for the monkeys used in pharmaceutical testing, after having lost access to two major sources of these animals in recent...

Oct 03, 2024 Read Now >

JIC/Shinko: SAMR Review Could Delay Tender Offer for Computer Chip Components and Packaging Maker

A review by China’s antitrust regulator could delay the government-backed Japan Investment Corporation’s (JIC) anticipated $4.7 billion tender offer for computer chip packaging and components maker Shinko Electric Industries (TSE: 6967), sources familiar with the matter...

Aug 20, 2024 Read Now >

Trump, Harris Likely to Pursue Different CFIUS Approaches to Achieve Common Goal: Confronting China

Regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential race in November, foreign investors attempting to purchase American assets can expect more government scrutiny than ever before—especially if the buyers are from...

Aug 02, 2024 Read Now >

SAMR, In Proposed Guidance, Stresses Horizontal Deals’ Likely Impact On Chinese Economy

China’s antitrust authority last week stressed in its proposed new guidance on horizontal merger reviews that it will consider a deal’s impact on the country’s economy, indicating the importance industrial policy and political interests increasingly are playing in the...

Jun 24, 2024 Read Now >

Uber/Foodpanda: Taiwanese Regulator Meets With Restaurant Operators, Drivers Amid Concerns About Worse Service, Lower Pay

In examining Uber Technologies’ (UBER) proposed acquisition of Delivery Hero’s (DHER) Foodpanda business, Taiwan’s competition regulator met this week with industry participants such as restaurant chain operators and drivers, who have complained about the $950 million deal leading...

Jun 21, 2024 Read Now >

Ascendent/Hollysys: Proposed $1.66 Billion Rail Transportation Buyout May Face Beijing’s Antitrust and National Security Scrutiny

Hong Kong-based private equity firm Ascendent Capital Partners’ planned $1.66 billion buyout of Hollysys Automation Technologies (HOLI) is likely to face scrutiny from China’s antitrust regulator and the country’s opaque national security review agency, sources familiar with the...

Apr 30, 2024 Read Now >

Amex GBT/CWT: Qatari Stake Could Draw CFIUS’s Attention to Proposed Acquisition of Travel Service Used by U.S. Military

American Express Global Business Travel’s (GBTG) proposed $570 million acquisition of CWT, which operates a service that U.S. military personnel and other federal officials use to arrange trips, could raise red flags over the Qatari government’s stake in the deal, national security...

Apr 03, 2024 Read Now >

Chinese Academics Recommend AI Act Should Give Government Power to Remove Questionable Technology, Revoke Violating Companies’ Licenses

A new Chinese law regulating artificial intelligence should give the government the power to remove questionable uses of AI and revoke the licenses of companies that violate the legislation, according to a first draft of academics’ recommendations reviewed by The Capitol...

Mar 26, 2024 Read Now >

Synopsys/Ansys: Photonic Chip-Design Software Overlap Could Lead to Higher Prices, Less Interoperability, Over a Dozen Customers, Experts Say

Synopsys’s (SNPS) proposed $35 billion acquisition of Ansys (ANNS) would give it control over the two most popular programs for a cutting-edge method of chip design, sparking concerns among customers about price increases and less interoperability with rival...

Mar 19, 2024 Read Now >

Haier Smart Home/Carrier Global: Commercial Refrigeration Transaction Triggers European Commission FSR Filing

Chinese home appliance supplier Haier Smart Home’s (HK:6690) proposed $640 million acquisition of Carrier Global’s (CARR) commercial refrigeration business requires a filing under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) in Europe, according to sources familiar with the...

Mar 18, 2024 Read Now >

As CHIPS Act Money Is Set to Be Distributed, Experts See Pivotal Point in Establishing U.S. Market Structure for the Long Term, Creating High Stakes for Intel, TSMC, Broadcom, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Micron, and Texas Instruments

Last week, the Department of Commerce announced the largest disbursal of CHIPS Act funding yet: $1.5 billion, going to U.S. chipmaker GlobalFoundries Inc (GFS). Other domestic manufacturers, particularly Intel (INTC), are set to receive billions more in the coming...

Mar 01, 2024 Read Now >

Antitrust Tech Tuesday: Dems Line Up to Support USTR; Even More Senators Support KOSA; FTC Protects Consumers from Scams, Proposes Additional Protections for AI-Generated Impersonations; DOJ Set to Investigate Sports Streaming Platform; Open Markets Institute Webinar on Journalism and Tech; FTC v. Amazon Trial Date

Democratic representatives in support of USTR digital trade policy. A group of 87 House Democrats led by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) sent a letter to the Biden administration on February 13 announcing their support for U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s...

Feb 20, 2024 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: iMessage, Bing Outside of DMA Scope; Meta Fails to Stop UK Class Action; Thermo Fisher/Olink Gets German Phase 2; Novo Holdings/Catalent to File CMA Briefing Paper

Bing, iMessage sidestep DMA. The European Commission said last Tuesday that Apple’s (AAPL) messaging service and Microsoft’s (MSFT) Bing search engine aren’t subject to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the bloc’s sweeping new law to rein in the power of tech giants. In addition to...

Feb 20, 2024 Read Now >

Antitrust Tech Tuesday: Motion to Dismiss FTC v. Kochava Denied; Jury Trial Date Set in DOJ Adtech Case; Democratic Senators Introduce Legislation Aimed at Algorithms Used in Rental Price-Fixing

Judge denies motion to dismiss in FTC v. Kochava. U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winwill denied Kochava’s motion to dismiss the FTC’s case against it, in an order filed over the weekend. The FTC filed its complaint against the mobile attribution company in 2022, amending it later...

Feb 06, 2024 Read Now >

SAMR Designing Merger Guidelines With Geopolitics, Export Controls In Mind, Agency Official Says

China’s antitrust authority’s new merger guidelines will account for problems that arise when geopolitics and U.S. export controls conflict with a merging company’s ability to fulfill its obligations on a remedy, a senior competition official said today. “Our antitrust authority...

Dec 05, 2023 Read Now >

SAMR Investigates Patent-Licensing Practices in Auto Industry

China’s antitrust regulator is investigating potential antitrust violations regarding the licensing of vital communications technology patents to the country’s automakers, sources familiar with the situation said. The State Administration for Market Regulation launched the probe...

Nov 10, 2023 Read Now >

Danaher/Abcam: Deal Not Attracting Industry Complaints So Far in Sped-Up Review

Danaher’s (DHR) planned $5.7 billion acquisition of Abcam (ABCM) hasn’t generated significant industry complaints so far as China’s antitrust authority, under its sped-up review process, starts seeking public comment about the tie-up, sources familiar with the matter said. Due to...

Oct 26, 2023 Read Now >

Broadcom/VMware: Deal Probe in Final Stage, as Senior Officials Examine Proposed Remedy Viewed Positively by SAMR Staff

China’s review of Broadcom’s (AVGO) planned $61 billion VMware (VMW) acquisition has reached its final stages as senior government officials examine a proposed remedy that has increasing support from case handlers and investigators at the country’s competition regulator, sources...

Sep 22, 2023 Read Now >

Broadcom/VMware: Deal Progresses Through Review Process as SAMR Talks Continue, Proposed Remedy Receives Initial Positive Feedback

Broadcom’s (AVGO) planned acquisition of VMware (VMW) is advancing through China’s regulatory process as the U.S. tech giant engages in discussions with the country’s competition enforcer over a proposed remedy that initially is receiving positive government and industry feedback...

Sep 06, 2023 Read Now >

Intel/Tower Semiconductor: Deal’s Fate Grows Murkier After Biden Unveils Executive Order on U.S. Investment in China

The fate of Intel’s (INTC) proposed $5.4 billion Tower Semiconductor acquisition has grown even murkier following President Joe Biden unveiling his long-anticipated executive order limiting U.S. investment in China, said attorneys in the country not involved with the deal. On the one...

Aug 10, 2023 Read Now >

Prospects Brighten for Broadcom/VMware, ICE/Black Knight, L3Harris/Aerojet Following Recent Developments

The prospects for Broadcom’s (AVGO) proposed VMware (VMW) buyout, Intercontinental Exchange’s (ICE) attempted Black Knight (BKI) purchase and L3Harris Technologies’ (LHX) bid for Aerojet Rocketdyne have distinctly improved due to a series of recent, unrelated developments, according...

Jul 20, 2023 Read Now >

SAMR Shuffles Top Merger Officials Amid Probes of Sensitive Chip Deals

China’s antitrust authority has quietly made two key staff appointments in its merger department, putting a seasoned enforcer and a relative novice in charge of reviewing multibillion-dollar technology deals including Intel’s (INTC) proposed buyout of Tower Semiconductor (TSEM), said...

Jun 20, 2023 Read Now >

MaxLinear/Silicon Motion: Parties Make Progress in Negotiating Remedy With Chinese Regulator

U.S. chipmaker MaxLinear (MXL) has achieved some progress in negotiating a remedy proposal with China’s antitrust authority for its planned $3.8 billion acquisition of Taiwanese rival Silicon Motion Technology (SIMO), sources familiar with the matter said. Case handlers at the State...

May 30, 2023 Read Now >

Intel/Tower Semiconductor: SAMR Likely to Decide on Deal in Coming Weeks; Gelsinger’s Visit Smoothed Path for Remedy Talks, Lawyers Say

Chinese antitrust enforcers are likely to make a decision on Intel’s (INTC) proposed buyout of Tower Semiconductor (TSEM) in the coming weeks, ending a long “stop the clock” on their review of the $5.4 billion transaction, said China-based legal experts and practitioners. The...

Apr 27, 2023 Read Now >

The Antitrust Agenda: With FTC Set to Have Two Open Republican Seats, Health of Senate Minority Leader McConnell Looms Large; Vedova Demands Compliance with HSR Form

Has McConnell’s absence from Senate delayed Republican FTC appointments? While antitrust enforcers made some headlines at the ABA Spring Meeting (see below for key remarks and highlights), the health of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was a subject of interest, as he is set to...

Apr 03, 2023 Read Now >

Intel/Tower Semiconductor: With SAMR Approval Outstanding, Intel Executive Stresses Commitment to China

With Intel’s (INTC) $5.4 billion bid for Tower Semiconductor (TSEM) under review by China’s antitrust authority, Intel China Chairwoman Wang Rui has embarked on a charm offensive, stressing the company’s long-term commitment to the country. Wang, who’s also a senior vice...

Mar 02, 2023 Read Now >

Broadcom/VMware: FTC Staff Sounds Out Third Parties About Signing Declarations for Possible Court Case

FTC staff attorneys reviewing Broadcom’s (AVGO) proposed purchase of VMware (VMW) are sounding out industry participants about whether they would sign declarations or participate in investigational hearings, deepening the agency’s investigation of the $61 billion deal, sources...

Feb 10, 2023 Read Now >

Korean Air/Asiana: Complainants Urge SAMR to Hold Parties to Initial Remedy Offer, Delay Decision

Chinese industry associations and airline operators are urging the country’s antitrust authority to require Korean Air (KRX: 003490) and Asiana Airlines (KRX: 020560) to abide by a remedy offer they made to address concerns with their proposed merger but subsequently rescinded, sources...

Dec 09, 2022 Read Now >

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