Commerce Commission

The Commerce Commission (Māori: Te Komihana Tauhokohoko) (sometimes shortened to ComCom) is a New Zealand government agency with responsibility for enforcing legislation that relates to competition in the country's markets, fair trading and consumer credit contracts, and regulatory responsibility for areas such as electricity and gas, telecommunications, dairy products and airports. It is an independent Crown entity established under the Commerce Act 1986. Although responsible to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, the Commission is run independently from the government, and is intended to be an impartial promotor and enforcer of the law.

The Commission undertakes investigations into potential breaches of the Commerce Act 1986 and where appropriate, takes court action. It considers applications for authorisations and clearances in relation to anti-competitive behaviour and mergers, in circumstances where the public benefit outweighs the harm to competition. In specific areas where it has regulatory responsibilities, such as electricity and gas, the Commission has additional enforcement powers to promote competition and protect consumers.