Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson, Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater from the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, and Japan Fair Trade Commission Chairman Eiji Chatani met in Washington, D.C., to discuss ongoing cooperation on competition issues between the United States and Japan.
“I want to thank Chairman Chatani and the Japan Fair Trade Commission for joining us in a productive and insightful discussion,” said FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson. “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.”
Assistant Attorney General Slater emphasized the importance of international partnerships: “The Japan Fair Trade Commission is one of our closest and most important international partners,” she said. “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.”
JFTC Chair Eiji Chatani highlighted the value of direct dialogue: “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,” he stated. “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 1999 agreement on competition cooperation among these agencies builds upon decades of interaction that began after Japan enacted its Antimonopoly Law in 1947. Regular antitrust consultations have taken place since the 1970s, making this partnership one of the longest-standing bilateral relationships on antitrust matters involving U.S. authorities.
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