In the United States, there are two major federal antitrust laws relating to cartels: Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act (15 U.S.C. § 1), which prohibits "[e]very contract, combination in the form of trust.
On January 5, 2023, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new rule (the Proposed Rule) that would define an employer's use of "noncompete clauses" with its workers as an unfair method.