John Pecman, Commissioner, Competition Bureau

WASHINGTON – The world’s oldest competition law is on the books in Canada, preceding the US Sherman Act by one year. In this video interview, the head of Canada’s Competition Bureau John Pecman says his agency’s emphasis on corporate compliance and advocacy is growing.

Pecman said the agency’s focus on consumer protection has won the hearts of Canadians and made “antitrust cool again,” citing enforcement efforts that led to a $25 rebate on bread purchases from a national grocery chain.

Canada is also a founding member of the International Competition Network (ICN), and serves as the secretariat of the group, dedicated to sharing and promoting the best competition enforcement practices across 135 members. Together with another international agency, the Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development’s competition committee, Canada is helping promote a common approach to economic analysis worldwide to help normalize competition standards. The interview was recorded at this year’s annual ABA Spring Antitrust Meeting.

by Whitney McKnight