Treasury Department Recommends Antitrust Reform In Alcohol Markets

On February 9, the Treasury Department issued a  report analyzing competition in the US alcohol industry (defined as beer, wine, and spirits), which outlined several proposed reforms aimed at improving competition in the sector.

The report stems from President Biden's July 2021  Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, intended to reduce corporate consolidation and increase competition across more than a dozen industries. The administration outlined its priorities in the executive order, and federal agencies are beginning to comply as they commission reports, initiate studies, and consider new rules to help bring the administration's agenda to fruition. For example, in January the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice jointly announced plans to  overhaul merger guidelines – a directive in President Biden's Executive Order that has now been endorsed by the Treasury Department in its report on the alcohol industry.