An antitrust offense in which two or more competing businesses agree, rather than compete independently, to set, raise, lower or otherwise control the price of a good or service, eliminating price competition between them to the detriment of consumers who would otherwise benefit from a competitive market. Prosecuted in the United States chiefly under Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 as a per se illegal restraint of trade, meaning prosecutors need not prove the agreement actually harmed competition in a particular market, only that the agreement to fix prices existed, price fixing is generally pursued as a criminal offense by the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division against corporate executives as well as a civil matter against the companies involved. Documented historical cases include the 1990s lysine and vitamins cartel prosecutions in the United States and a series of cartel fines imposed by the European Commission against manufacturers in industries including automotive parts and shipping.
Facts
Elements of OffenseA contract, combination or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States or with foreign nations (Sherman Act section 1) 1 Classification
Offense GradeSerious or Indictable Offense 1 Connections
Has Offense Grade
Entity-backed identity for the offense-grade enum value this offense already carries, resolved to a crime concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The offense-grade fact itself stays on the offense unchanged.
Sources
1. 15 U.S. Code 1 - Trusts, etc., in restraint of trade illegal; penalty
First sentenceQuote, First sentence
Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is declared to be illegal.
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