Cooperation Between Mexico, the US, and Canada to Regulate Prices for the 2026 World Cup
18:14 04/10/2024 - PesoMXN.com
The Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece), alongside authorities from the United States and Canada, has launched a series of training sessions aimed at preventing anti-competitive practices during the FIFA World Cup 2026. These training sessions aim to prevent price manipulation and other actions that could impact consumers during the tournament. This collaborative effort aligns with an international strategy intended to protect markets and ensure fair conduct among businesses during the event, which will take place in Mexico, United States, and Canada.
On Friday, October 4, Cofece, together with the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Competition Bureau of Canada, held a workshop for officials and organizers of the FIFA World Cup 2026. This workshop included representatives from the Secretariats of Economy and Foreign Affairs, the National Anticorruption System, and local governments of the host cities. This workshop is the first of several that will be conducted before the event to train participants on how to prevent, identify, and report collusive practices. Among the behaviors they wish to avoid are price manipulation and illegal market allocation, situations that could harm consumers and affect competition during the World Cup. This effort is part of an ongoing collaboration between the three competition authorities, who had previously worked together in June during the forum “Actions for the Protection of Sports in Latin America and the Caribbean,” organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. On that occasion, the need to preserve competition in large-scale sporting events like the World Cup was emphasized. Representing Cofece were José Manuel Haro, Elvia Villarreal, and Carlos García Cueva, who explained the measures the Commission has taken as part of this international partnership. They also discussed information-sharing mechanisms between the three countries, focused on international best practices, aimed at mitigating the negative impact that anti-competitive behaviors can have on the Mexican economy.
Cofece emphasized that, just like in football, competition in markets must ensure fair conditions for all companies seeking to offer their products and services. This collaboration reaffirms their commitment to working with authorities from other nations and different levels of government to ensure that the FIFA World Cup 2026 benefits both consumers and the economy.
It’s encouraging to see how Mexico is joining forces with its neighbors in an effort to maintain market fairness, especially for an event as significant as the World Cup. International cooperation not only protects consumers but also fosters a fairer business environment, which can provide a positive boost to the regional economy in the long run.
