The Asia Pacific region has seen the number of notified and reviewed mergers between 2015 and 2020 increase by over 20%, followed by an increase of more than 15% in 2020 alone – when it recorded 1,924 notified mergers. This is not surprising given the new or revamped merger control regimes (often with mandatory filing requirements) that have come into force in the region in recent years. Yet more changes are on the horizon (please see our coverage on Malaysia set out in this update).
We are seeing new types of filing thresholds proposed or introduced (please see our coverage on India set out in this update) which would potentially widen the pool of transactions subject to mandatory filing requirements. Enforcement activity is also on an uptick, and even mergers which are primarily vertical (i.e., where parties have little or no overlapping products/services) have also been subject to increased scrutiny, particularly where digital platforms / major technology players transactions are involved.
Against this backdrop, this update provides a snapshot of some notable merger control related developments in Singapore and the region.
If you would like information or assistance on the above or any other area of law, you may wish to contact the Partner at WongPartnership whom you normally work with or any of the following Partners:
Ameera ASHRAF
Head – Antitrust & Competition
d +65 6416 8113
e ameera.ashraf@wongpartnership.com
Click here to see Ameera’s CV.
CHAN Jia Hui
Partner – Antitrust & Competition
d +65 6416 2794
e jiahui.chan@wongpartnership.com
Click here to see Jia Hui’s CV.