Market Intelligence

Welcome to the October 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.

Le Bureau de la concurrence du Canada a conclu une entente historique avec Kalibrate Canada Inc. concernant la collecte et la diffusion de données détaillées sur les ventes d'essence. Cette affaire marque la première application des dispositions modifiées sur l'abus de position dominante et soulève d'importantes questions sur le partage de renseignements sensibles par des intermédiaires tiers.

Canadian merger review requirements can trigger early in a transaction and may apply even when deals fall below pre-closing notification thresholds. This overview examines critical considerations including financial thresholds, substantive competition concerns, clearance processes, timing requirements, filing fees, and how Competition Act risk is typically addressed in transaction documentation.

On September 28, 2026, the Competition Bureau (Bureau) launched an investigation into the use of minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policies in the Canadian grocery sector and issued a public call for information seeking input from consumers, retailers, suppliers, distributors and manufacturers on how these policies impact grocery pricing. 

The Federal Court has interpreted the Competition Act's drip pricing provisions, establishing that concealment and sequence are essential elements of prohibited conduct. This decision in Kuling v. Ticketmaster L.L.C. clarifies that partitioned pricing, where all mandatory fees are displayed simultaneously and clearly, does not constitute drip pricing under Canadian competition law.

The Canadian Competition Bureau has reached a landmark settlement with Kalibrate Canada Inc. over concerns that its data analytics product facilitated anticompetitive behavior in the retail gasoline industry by sharing competitively sensitive station-level pricing and volume information. This case marks the first application of Canada's restructured abuse of dominance provisions and provides critical insights into the Bureau's evolving approach to information sharing, algorithmic pricing, and competition en