United States: Anti-Cartel Enforcement

2013 was another landmark year for the United States Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. Despite severe budgetary restrictions, hiring freezes, and a 16-day government shutdown, the Division’s aggressive prosecution of global cartels continued: the Division obtained the longest US prison sentence ever imposed for a Sherman Act violation, the first extradition of a foreign national on an antitrust charge, and the second-highest annual criminal fine total. As in prior years, the Division continued to work in close cooperation with other international and domestic enforcers to investigate and prosecute cartel activity around the globe.