Here is an overview of the three core federal antitrust laws the sherman act outlaws every contract combination or conspiracy in restraint of trade and any monopolization attempted monopolization or conspiracy or combination to monopolize. These laws promote vigorous competition and protect consumers from anticompetitive mergers and business practices the ftcs bureau of competition working in tandem with the bureau of economics enforces the antitrust laws for the benefit of consumers the bureau of competition has developed a variety of resources to help explain its work. Federal antitrust laws 2021 sherman antitrust act the sherman act enacted in 1890 is the main federal antitrust law the sherman act outlaws all clayton antitrust act the clayton act addresses specific practices not clearly prohibited by the sherman act the federal trade commission . Federal antitrust laws provide for both civil and criminal enforcement of antitrust laws the federal trade commission the antitrust division of the us department of justice and private parties who are sufficiently affected may all bring civil actions in the courts to enforce the antitrust laws however criminal antitrust enforcement is done only by the justice department us states also have antitrust statutes that govern commerce occurring solely within their state borders the scope of