U.S. FTC to consider study on supply chain concerns

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will vote next week on whether it will study if supply chain disruptions have affected competition, the agency said in a statement describing the agenda as tentative.

The meeting will be held on Nov. 18, the statement said.

Faced with long delays in getting goods into U.S. ports and onto store shelves, the White House has pressed for ways to address bottlenecks, speed deliveries and reduce shortages, including working with the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to move goods around the clock.

The White House has said that unusually high inflation will drop once supply bottlenecks ease.

The FTC said it will vote on whether it should collect data from big retailers and other companies that supply consumer goods to study how supply chain disruptions have affected competition.

“The study will focus on why these disruptions occur, whether they are leading to specific bottlenecks, shortages, anticompetitive practices, or contributing to rising consumer prices,” the statement said.

The FTC generally does not bring matters up for a vote if they are unlikely to pass.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Bill Berkrot)