Economic Analysis Methodologies Applied in Merger Investigations in the EU and China: Comparative Case Studies

Understanding the application of economic analysis methods in merger reviews across various jurisdictions can benefit antitrust authorities when reviewing cases and aid the legal and economic teams that work with merging parties in better anticipating concerns and outcomes. The comparative studies on economic analysis methods applied in merger cases have mainly been focused on China/the US and the EU/US. The objective of this study is to explore how the EU and China apply economic analysis methods to merger control enforcement for the same concentrations, by means of a comparative case study. Two research questions are addressed: (i) What are the economic analysis methods employed by Chinese antitrust authorities when investigating merger cases and how are they used? (ii) What similarities and differences exist between the antitrust authorities in the EU and China in applying economic analysis methods during merger case reviews?