Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson, and Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) Chairman Eiji Chatani met in Washington, D.C., to discuss ongoing cooperation on competition issues between the United States and Japan. The meeting is part of a long-standing relationship between the two countries' competition authorities.
Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater stated, “The Japan Fair Trade Commission is one of our closest and most important international partners. We are grateful to the JFTC for our long history of sharing best practices, discussing common challenges, and engagement on competition issues of interest to both of our countries. I would like to thank JFTC Chairman Chatani for traveling to Washington for today’s discussion. We look forward to continuing our close relationship with the JFTC in the future.”
Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson commented, “I want to thank Chairman Chatani and the Japan Fair Trade Commission for joining us in a productive and insightful discussion. The friendship between the United States and Japan is among the most important for both countries, and these strong ties also apply to the longstanding relationship between the U.S. and Japanese competition agencies. I fully expect our collaboration will continue to produce substantial benefits for competition, consumers, and workers in both countries.”
JFTC Chairman Eiji Chatani said, “I am truly honored to participate in today’s bilateral meeting between the United States and Japan, a dialogue with a long and distinguished history. As competition authorities confront common challenges, it is vital that our leadership engage in direct and candid discussions. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to AAG Slater and Chairman Ferguson for their gracious hospitality. This productive meeting establishes a solid foundation for deepening cooperation between our nations, promoting mutual progress and sustained collaboration across multiple levels.”
The Justice Department noted that its 1999 cooperation agreement with both FTC and JFTC builds upon an established partnership dating back to 1947 when Japan enacted its Antimonopoly Law. Regular antitrust consultations have taken place since the 1970s—making this partnership one of America’s longest-running bilateral engagements with foreign antitrust authorities.
