Bill C-10 Competition Act And Investment Canada Act Amendments Enacted

On March 12, 2009, the most significant amendments to Canada's competition and foreign investment regimes in more than 20 years were enacted when Bill C-10, the Budget Implementation Act, 2009, received Royal Assent. The amendments were described in detail in the February 20, 2009 edition of The Competitor.

With the exception of the new hybrid/"dual-track" conspiracy provisions, all of the Competition Act amendments enter into force immediately. These include

• a new U.S.-style "two-stage" merger regime;
• an increase in the "size-of-transaction" threshold for pre-merger notification;
• de-criminalization of predatory pricing, price discrimination and promotional allowances;