United States: Cartels, Monopolies

The Dechert Antitrust Merger Investigation Timing Tracker (DAMITT) reveals a sustained decline in U.S. and EU merger enforcement activity through Q1 2026, with only four significant U.S. investigations concluded and a record-low single EU case. How are the Trump administration's policy shifts—including the revival of settlements and reinstatement of early terminations—reshaping the merger review landscape, and what do these trends signal for deal timelines and enforcement strategies?

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in accompanying remarks that the CEP is intended to "create[] incentives for companies to come forward" because companies will "know that, across the Department, they will be rewarded when they self-disclose wrongdoing, cooperate with our investigations, and remediate the misconduct."

Yesterday, FinCEN announced an ongoing enforcement initiative against more than 100 money services businesses operating along the Southwest U.S. border.