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REPORT OF THE

TASK GROUP

ON

ANTITRUST IMMUNITIES

Introduction

In the Fall of 1974, the President decided to establish an interagency task group for the purpose of evaluating the various exemptions to the antitrust laws which have come into being over the past several decades. This Task Group was to be part of a larger effort directed toward eliminating unnecessary and burdensome Federal regulations and to ensuring that Federal statutes and regulations serve to promote--not inhibit--competition within the economy. Formally organized in February 1975, the Task Group was chaired by Thomas E. Kauper, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, and reported directly to the President's Economic Policy Board. The Task Group also included representatives of the Office of Management and Budget, Council of Economic Advisers, Council on Wage and Price Stability, Council on International Economic Policy and the Domestic Council. Other agencies gave assistance in areas of their particular expertise. Donald I. Baker was nominated to be Assistant Attorney General in August 1976 and he succeeded Mr. Kauper as chairman of the Task Group.

The Task Group's first step was to identify the anti:rust exemptions contained in current law. It then deternined which of those exemptions were most suitable for ntensive scrutiny by the Task Group, which were already :he subject of other Administration reform efforts, which ere most suitable for reform through litigation, and which ere otherwise inappropriate for intensive review, given he Task Group's limited resources.

This Report summarizes the results of the Task Group's fforts. The Report reviews each of the main antitrust xemptions created by statute (e.g., motor carrier rate