International and Foreign Competition Law Research Guide

Competition law, known as antitrust law in the U.S., seeks to maintain the integrity of the marketplace by prohibiting anti-competitive practices and by subjecting corporate mergers and acquisitions to regulatory review if they have the potential to significantly reduce competition. 

Historically, competition law developed and evolved almost exclusively within the jurisdictional boundaries of individual nation states.  More recently, the growing influence of multinational business enterprises has led to a corresponding increase in bilateral and regional cooperation among national competition authorities.

This guide focuses on researching competition law in jurisdictions outside the U.S., on comparing competition law and practice in two or more jurisdictions, and on efforts to coordinate and harmonize the enforcement of competition law across multiple jurisdictions. 
 

Key Resources for International & Foreign Competition Law

• Kluwer Competition Law
  This online platform includes both primary law content (mainly from the U.S., the EU, and its member states) and secondary source materials (e-books, journal articles, and blog commentary) related to competition law.  Search by keyword or browse by policy area, content type, time period, and jurisdiction.  To apply filters before running a search, click on the white triangle immediately to the left of the search box.
   
• Getting the Deal Through (GTDT)
  This multi-jurisdictional resource offers in-depth, practitioner-written summaries of national laws that govern cartel regulation, merger control, state aid, and other aspects of competition law using a question and answer format.  Begin by selecting a "work area" from the menu.  Then select a jurisdiction or use the comparison tool to compare laws across multiple jurisdictions.  Jurisdictional coverage varies by work area.
   
• Global Competition & Antitrust
  Academic users of Westlaw may access competition law legislation, as well as regulatory decisions and case law, from selected foreign jurisdictions (Australia, the EU, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK).  Westlaw also has treatises on international merger control; treatises on competition law in Australia, China, and the EU; and practitioner-oriented journals and newsletters.
   
• Corporate Counsel's Guide to International Antitrust
  This electronic resource focuses primarily on antitrust law in the U.S. and on competition law in the EU, but it also includes overviews of competition law in 11 other jurisdictions:  Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and the UK.

For assistance with international and foreign competition law research, visit the Research Help page of the Georgetown University Law Library's website. Georgetown Law Center students may schedule a one-on-one research consultation with a librarian.

For guidance in researching subjects closely related to international and foreign competition law, consult the following Georgetown Law Library research guides: 

• Antitrust Law (U.S.) Research
• Foreign and Comparative Law Research
• International and Foreign Tax Law Research
• International Trade Law Research.

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Links checked 08/2022 (chb)
Revised 02/2018 (chb)
Revised 05/2010 (mms)
Links checked 08/2008 (ras)
Revised 04/2007 (aeb)