[20200518]LSB10472_2019冠状病毒疾病大流行期间的反垄断执法：常见问题解答.pdf

CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebar Antitrust Enforcement During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Frequently Asked Questions May 18, 2020 Although the COVID-19 coronavirus has shuttered wide swaths of the U.S. economy, it has also spurred a flurry of activity by some of the countrys largest firms. To respond to the virus, major medical-supply companies have announced collaborative efforts to manufacture, source, and distribute medical equipment. Large pharmaceutical companies and tech firms have likewise partnered with rivals to develop new products to treat and track the virus. And while economic uncertainty has led to sharp declines in mergers, some commentators predict that dominant, cash-rich firms will ultimately benefit from virus-induced financial turmoil by acquiring smaller, less secure competitors at bargain prices. These developments potentially implicate federal antitrust law, which prohibits anticompetitive agreements between firms and mergers and acquisitions that threaten to “substantially lessen” competition. This Legal Sidebar responds to certain frequently asked questions involving the intersection of antitrust enforc