15 U.S.C. § 18a
Premerger notification and waiting period
If a proceeding is instituted or an action is filed by the Federal Trade Commission, alleging that a proposed acquisition violates section 18 of this title, or section 45 of this title, or an action is filed by the United States, alleging that a proposed acquisition violates such section 18 of this title, or section 1 or 2 of this title, and the Federal Trade Commission or the Assistant Attorney General (1) files a motion for a preliminary injunction against consummation of such acquisition pendente lite, and (2) certifies the United States district court for the judicial district within which the respondent resides or carries on business, or in which the action is brought, that it or he believes that the public interest requires relief pendente lite pursuant to this subsection, then upon the filing of such motion and certification, the chief judge of such district court shall immediately notify the chief judge of the United States court of appeals for the circuit in which such district court is located, who shall designate a United States district judge to whom such action shall be assigned for all purposes.
Any information or documentary material filed with the Assistant Attorney General or the Federal Trade Commission pursuant to this section shall be exempt from disclosure under section 552 of title 5, and no such information or documentary material may be made public, except as may be relevant to any administrative or judicial action or proceeding. Nothing in this section is intended to prevent disclosure to either body of Congress or to any duly authorized committee or subcommittee of the Congress.
If the end of any period of time provided in this section falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal public holiday (as defined in section 6103(a) of title 5), then such period shall be extended to the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal public holiday.
The antitrust laws, referred to in subsecs. (c) and (d), are defined in section 12 of this title.
This Act, referred to in subsec. (i)(1), is act Oct. 15, 1914, ch. 323, 38 Stat. 730, known as the Clayton Act, which is classified generally to sections 12, 13, 14 to 19, 21, and 22 to 27 of this title, and sections 52 and 53 of Title 29, Labor. For further details and complete classification of this Act to the Code, see References in Text note set out under section 12 of this title and Tables.
The Federal Trade Commission Act, referred to in subsec. (i)(2), is act Sept. 26, 1914, ch. 311, 38 Stat. 717, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§ 41 et seq.) of chapter 2 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 58 of this title and Tables.
The Antitrust Civil Process Act, referred to in subsec. (i)(2), is Pub. L. 87–664,
Subsection (j), which required the Federal Trade Commission, with the concurrence of the Assistant Attorney General, to report annually to Congress on the operation of this section, terminated, effective
2000—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–553, § 1(a)(2) [title VI, § 630(a)], amended subsec. (a) generally, reenacting introductory provisions, par. (1), and concluding provisions without change, adding par. (2), and striking out former pars. (2) and (3) which read as follows:
“(2)(A) any voting securities or assets of a person engaged in manufacturing which has annual net sales or total assets of $10,000,000 or more are being acquired by any person which has total assets or annual net sales of $100,000,000 or more;
“(B) any voting securities or assets of a person not engaged in manufacturing which has total assets of $10,000,000 or more are being acquired by any person which has total assets or annual net sales of $100,000,000 or more; or
“(C) any voting securities or assets of a person with annual net sales or total assets of $100,000,000 or more are being acquired by any person with total assets or annual net sales of $10,000,000 or more; and
“(3) as a result of such acquisition, the acquiring person would hold—
“(A) 15 per centum or more of the voting securities or assets of the acquired person, or
“(B) an aggregate total amount of the voting securities and assets of the acquired person in excess of $15,000,000.”
Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 106–553, § 1(a)(2) [title VI, § 630(c)], designated existing provisions as subpar. (A) and added subpar. (B).
Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 106–553, § 1(a)(2) [title VI, § 630(d)(1)], substituted “30 days” for “20 days”.
Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 106–553, § 1(a)(2) [title VI, § 630(d)(2)], added subsec. (k).
1999—Subsec. (c)(7). Pub. L. 106–102, § 133(c)(1), inserted before semicolon at end “, except that a portion of a transaction is not exempt under this paragraph if such portion of the transaction (A) is subject to section 1843(k) of title 12; and (B) does not require agency approval under section 1842 of title 12”.
Subsec. (c)(8). Pub. L. 106–102, § 133(c)(2), inserted before semicolon at end “, except that a portion of a transaction is not exempt under this paragraph if such portion of the transaction (A) is subject to section 1843(k) of title 12; and (B) does not require agency approval under section 1843 of title 12”.
1989—Subsec. (c)(7). Pub. L. 101–73, § 1214(1), inserted reference to section 1467a(e) of title 12.
Subsec. (c)(8). Pub. L. 101–73, § 1214(2), struck out reference to section 1726 or 1730a(e) of title 12.
1984—Subsec. (f)(2). Pub. L. 98–620 struck out designation “(A)” before “upon the filing”, and struck out subpar. (B) which had provided that if the Federal Trade Commission or the Assistant Attorney General certified that he or it believed that the public interest required relief pendente lite pursuant to this subsection, the motion for a preliminary injunction had to be set down for hearing by the district judge so designated at the earliest practicable time, would take precedence over all matters except older matters of the same character and trials pursuant to section 3161 of title 18, and had to be in every way expedited.
Pub. L. 106–553, § 1(a)(2) [title VI, § 630(e)],
Amendment by Pub. L. 106–102 effective 120 days after
Amendment by Pub. L. 98–620 not applicable to cases pending on
Pub. L. 94–435, title II, § 202,
Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title VIII, § 857,
Pub. L. 101–162, title VI, § 605,
[Another section 101 of div. GG of Pub. L. 117–328 is set out as a note under section 1 of this title.]