Authorisation Guidelines

Under New Zealand competition law, anticompetitive conduct and mergers that harm competition are illegal under the Commerce Act.

When the public benefits outweigh the competitive harms, firms can apply to the Commission for authorisation.

The Commerce Commission’s Authorisation Guidelines define how the Commission assesses anti-competitive agreements, mergers, and cartel conduct to determine if they provide a net public benefit.

Commerce Commission disclaimer: This fact sheet provides guidance only. It is not intended to be definitive and should not be used in place of legal advice.

Source: New Zealand Commerce Commission, https://www.comcom.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/91011/Authorisation-Guidelines-June-2023.pdf