Office of the Maine Attorney General

Antitrust

Maine antitrust law seeks to promote and protect competition for the benefit of Maine consumers and workers. The law prohibits conspiracies in restraint of trade (e.g. price fixing), monopolization offenses, and mergers that may substantially lessen competition. The Attorney General investigates potential violations and may bring actions in state and federal court to enforce the state's antitrust law.

If you have any information you think we should know about, please submit an online complaint form or contact us. Please remember to include an address and telephone number so that we may contact you if we need further information.

Primary Antitrust Statutes

  • Maine: Title 10, Chapter 201 of the Maine Revised Statutes, Monopolies and Profiteering
  • Federal: Title 5, Chapter 1 of the United States Code, Monopolies and Combinations in Restraint of Trade (15 U.S.C. sec. 1 et seq.)

Helpful Antitrust Links

Antitrust in the Oil and Gas Industry

Maine law requires 90 days advance notice to the Attorney General prior to acquiring retail gasoline or heating oil assets. (Title 10, section 1109 of the Maine Revised Statutes, Monopolies and Profiteering , Acquisition of Gasoline and Heating Oil Assets)

Please use the forms linked below to provide notice of a retail gasoline or heating oil transaction:

The Maine Attorney General does not monitor gasoline or heating oil prices. When price increases do not appear to result from market-driven causes, the FTC alerts the appropriate state Attorney General

Maine's Petroleum Market Share Act requires wholesale suppliers of home heating oil and motor fuel oil to provide annual reports to the Attorney General of gallons sold to retailers and end users. See 10 M.R.S. sec. 1673. The Act also states that every 2 years the Attorney General shall make a report to the Legislature describing the concentration of retail outlets in the State, and recommending whether additional legislation is needed. Also, the Attorney General posts aggregate data collected pursuant to the Act annually, which are available in our Library and Archives.

Petroleum Market Share Act (PMSA) Reports- Archives