TOTM

What Am I Missing About Antitrust Exemptions?

Geoff mentions the pending bills on the Hill that would grant merchants an antitrust exemption to negotiate interchange fees.  The insurance industry exemption has also been in the news of late in the wake of the Democrats’ threats of repeal.  Here’s what I’m puzzled about.  Other than self-interested parties that have a lot to gain from an exemption (I’d like an exemption from income taxes if anybody cares), why won’t anybody say that industry exemptions from the Sherman Act price-fixing prohibitions are decidedly not a good thing for consumers?

Read the full piece here.