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ARTICLE · 13 OCTOBER 2026

Competition Laws: What Canada's Reformed Competition Act Means For Your Business

Miller Thomson
Miller Thomson
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Canada's Competition Act has undergone significant reforms that expand enforcement powers, increase penalties, and broaden scrutiny of commercial conduct. These changes mean competition law considerations now extend well beyond mergers and acquisitions to encompass pricing practices, competitor collaborations, distribution arrangements, and marketing claims. Understanding these expanded requirements is essential for businesses operating in or entering Canadian markets.

CanadaAntitrust/Competition Law
Miller Thomson LLP
Miller Thomson LLP
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The enforcement environment has fundamentally shifted

Canada’s Competition Act has undergone significant reforms in recent years. The changes have expanded the Competition Bureau’s enforcement powers, increased available penalties, broadened private access to the Competition Tribunal, and heightened scrutiny of a wider range of commercial conduct. 

As a result, competition law considerations now extend well beyond mergers and acquisitions and should form part of broader business planning and risk management. 

Merger review: the thresholds and the timeline 

Certain transactions that exceed prescribed financial thresholds must be notified to the Competition Bureau before closing. In 2026, notification is generally required where the parties and their affiliates have assets in Canada or revenues in, from or into Canada exceeding CAD $400 million, and the target business exceeds the applicable CAD $93 million size-of-transaction threshold. 

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