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ARTICLE · 04 JANUARY 2024

Competition Law Update: Parliament Approves Next Wave Of Competition Act Amendments

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
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Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

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Competition law reform in Canada is in full swing, with several important changes to the Competition Act (Act), including new rules relating to market studies...

CanadaAntitrust/Competition Law
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
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Competition law reform in Canada is in full swing, with several important changes to the Competition Act (Act), including new rules relating to market studies, mergers and abuse of dominance now in effect. Additional amendments will come into force in December 2024. These changes were previewed in our Blakes Bulletin: Canadian Government Introduces Important Amendments to the Competition Act. However, the final legislation contains a number of important additional changes, all of which are summarized below.

Key Amendments in Effect as of December 15, 2023

  • New market study powers. The Minister of Innovation Science & Industry and/or the Commissioner of Competition (head of the Competition Bureau (Bureau)) now have the power to launch market study inquiries. When conducting a market study, the Bureau can seek compulsory production orders for internal documents and data, as well as testimony, from participants in the targeted industries. Such orders were

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