US sues to halt sugar merger, says it would harm competition

By MICHAEL BALSAMO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit seeking to block a major U.S. sugar manufacturer from acquiring its rival. The department contends that the deal would harm competition and consumers. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Delaware. It comes about eight months after U.S. Sugar announced it reached an agreement to acquire the Imperial Sugar Company, one of the largest sugar refiners in the nation. The company is fighting back, saying the deal won’t raise prices. The suit is the latest example of the Justice Department’s aggressive enforcement of federal antitrust law that officials say is aimed at ensuring a fair and competitive market in the U.S.