Canada: Antitrust/Competition Law

Canada's Competition Bureau has significantly altered its merger review approach since 2022 amendments to the Competition Act, with more transactions classified as complex and longer review timelines. The Bureau is also issuing fewer Advance Ruling Certificates while parties increasingly employ "pull and refile" strategies to avoid Supplementary Information Requests, raising important questions about the practical implications of the new remedial standard.

This comprehensive guide examines the pre-merger notification requirements under Canada's Competition Act, providing essential information for parties considering transactions that may trigger mandatory filing obligations. The guide outlines the thresholds, procedures, and compliance considerations that businesses must navigate when planning mergers and acquisitions in the Canadian market.

Welcome to the July issue of Blakes Competitive Edge, a monthly publication of the Blakes Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment group. Blakes Competitive Edge provides an overview of recent developments in Canadian competition and foreign investment law, including updates on enforcement activity by the Canadian Competition Bureau (Bureau), recent initiatives and key trends.

Agricultural and food sector businesses face unprecedented competition law scrutiny from regulators on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. Canada's Competition Bureau has launched a comprehensive examination of the food supply chain while the U.S. Department of Justice pursues investigations into seed industry practices, signaling a new era of heightened enforcement that demands strategic preparation from industry participants.

The “public interest” private right of access to the Competition Tribunal has become very popular since it came into force last June, with six applications for leave to date. For background, private litigants...

Le Canada commence l'année 2026 dans un contexte caractérisé autant par l'incertitude que par des occasions quant à l'orientation future des mesures d'application...

The United States has imposed 50% tariffs on hundreds of Canadian exports effective August 19, 2026, targeting goods across multiple sectors including machinery, wood products, chemicals, textiles, food and beverages. Canadian exporters should verify whether their products fall under the affected HTS codes, as these tariffs apply even to CUSMA-compliant goods.

President Trump has signed three Presidential Proclamations imposing additional 50% tariffs on Canadian products across motor vehicles, dairy, and alcoholic beverages sectors, effective August 19, 2026. Unlike previous measures, these tariffs will apply even to goods qualifying for preferential treatment under CUSMA, marking a significant escalation in U.S.-Canada trade tensions. The proclamations cite Canadian policies as discriminatory, though the tariffs extend far beyond the targeted sectors to include

President Trump has invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion of Canadian exports, targeting motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages, and dairy products. With implementation scheduled for August 19, 2026, Canadian businesses face a critical 30-day window to reassess supply chains, renegotiate contracts, and explore tariff minimization strategies. How will this century-old trade weapon reshape North America's most integrated supply chain?