Trade regulations help to ensure that free and open competition exists among businesses in the United States. If you have questions about how trade laws affect you or your business, refer to this section of FreeAdvice for information on existing trade regulations and the unfair trade practices they address.
Free trade is the backbone of a capitalist economy and trade regulations are necessary to ensure that free trade is protected, that no business runs rampant, and that the interest of the consumer is preserved. Numerous legal acts have been passed toward these ends, including the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Wilson Act, the Clayton Act, and the Robinson-Patman Act, all designed to protect the free market system. These acts aim to prevent concentration of economic power, where one company assumes total control over the market for a given product or service. The area of trade regulation known as anti-trust law prevents unfair trade practices like price fixing, the formation of cartels, or the merging of companies that can cause the creation of excessively powerful market forces. To learn more about what anti-trust laws entail, the various trade regulation acts involved, and why competition among businesses is protected, explore the links in this section.