What Commerce Commission does

The Commerce Commission (Te Komihana Tauhokohoko) is New Zealand's primary competition, fair trading, consumer credit, and economic regulatory agency, established under the Commerce Act 1986 as a Crown entity accountable to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. It enforces the Commerce Act, Fair Trading Act, and Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act; conducts market studies; clears or blocks mergers; investigates anti-competitive conduct and misleading trading practices; and economically regulates designated infrastructure sectors including telecommunications, fuel, airports, electricity lines, gas pipelines, fibre, dairy, water services, and retail payments. The Commission serves the New Zealand public interest, with horizontal reach over all domestic businesses and consumers, and works alongside other regulators including MBIE, the Financial Markets Authority, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, the Department of Internal Affairs, the Treasury, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission under cross-appointment arrangements.

The Commission employs fewer than 400 staff and is headquartered in Wellington. It does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded by New Zealand Crown appropriations supplemented by industry levies, with regulatory services provided free of charge to the public. Distribution and stakeholder engagement occur through the comcom.govt.nz website, a public case register, news releases, email subscriptions, public consultations, and social media (Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn). Technology infrastructure is standard government IT with cloud connectivity and website-based platforms for case management, reporting, and consultations; no proprietary technology products are commercialised.

In 2026 the Commission underwent significant structural change: consumer credit regulation transferred to the Financial Markets Authority effective 1 July 2026, while new Commerce Act amendments expanded its merger assessment toolkit with clarified substantial lessening of competition tests, cumulative acquisition assessment, and stay/hold/call-in powers. Leadership was refreshed with Suzanne Stew appointed Chief Executive in May 2026 and Rebecca McAtamney joining as General Manager, Competition, Fair Trading and Credit in March 2026.

Name

Commerce Commission

Legal name

Commerce Commission (Te Komihana Tauhokohoko)

Website

https://comcom.govt.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Commerce Commission (Te Komihana Tauhokohoko) is New Zealand's Crown entity competition and consumer regulator, enforcing antitrust and fair trading laws, clearing mergers, conducting market studies, and economically regulating infrastructure sectors including telecommunications, energy, airports, fuel, dairy, and retail payments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Competition and Economic Regulation

akta.pro primary industry

Competition/Antitrust & Market Conduct Regulators (BPAIAOAD)

Keywords

• Competition regulation
• Fair trading enforcement
• Market studies
• Economic regulation
• Consumer protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Commerce Commission is a New Zealand Crown entity funded primarily through government appropriations from the Crown. As a regulatory body, it does not generate commercial revenue but is allocated funding to carry out its statutory functions including competition enforcement, fair trading regulation, consumer credit oversight, and economic regulation of regulated industries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Commerce Commission is New Zealand's primary competition, fair trading, consumer credit, and economic regulatory agency. It enforces the Commerce Act 1986 and Fair Trading Act, conducts market studies, reviews merger clearances, and regulates prices and service quality in essential infrastructure sectors including telecommunications, electricity, fuel, airports, dairy, gas, fibre, water, and retail payments.

Product overview

The Commerce Commission is New Zealand's primary competition, fair trading, consumer credit, and economic regulatory agency. It does not offer commercial software products or technology services. Instead, it provides regulatory oversight, enforcement, and market study functions across multiple sectors including grocery, telecommunications, electricity, fuel, gas, airports, dairy, water, retail payments, and fibre. The Commission's regulatory activities include merger clearances, investigation of anti-competitive behaviour, consumer protection enforcement, and information disclosure requirements for regulated industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Competition Enforcement

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commission works closely with MBIE on various regulatory matters, including open banking and Consumer Data Right initiatives. MBIE is responsible for broader economic policy and regulatory frameworks that intersect with the Commission's enforcement responsibilities. The Commission also transferred experienced credit staff to MBIE's Financial Markets Authority as part of regulatory transitions.
• Financial Markets Authority (FMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer credit regulation transferred from the Commerce Commission to the Financial Markets Authority on 1 July 2026. The two agencies worked closely to ensure a seamless transition of regulatory responsibilities. The FMA is taking over supervision of consumer credit from the Commission following the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill.
• Reserve Bank of New ZealandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commission collaborates with the Reserve Bank on payment system modernization initiatives. Both agencies are involved in cross-sector work to modernize New Zealand's payment system, with the Reserve Bank leading the initiative and the Commission providing competition regulatory oversight.
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder the Single Economic Market Outcomes Framework, certain members of each country's competition agency are cross-appointed to the other. Associate Commissioners from the ACCC (Anna Brakey and Stephen Ridgeway) serve on the New Zealand Commerce Commission to support convergence in competition and consumer law approaches.
• Department of Internal AffairsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commission works with the Department of Internal Affairs on payment system modernization. The Department assumed sole supervisory responsibility for New Zealand's AML/CFT regime from the Reserve Bank and FMA. The Commission also receives calls through MBIE acting as its agent.
• Other government agenciesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commission collaborates with various government agencies including The Treasury, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Public Service Commission on cross-agency initiatives and regulatory reforms. The Commission is part of the cross-agency group supporting payment system modernization alongside these agencies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA): UK's primary competition and consumer protection authority, enforcing competition law and conducting market investigations. Highly comparable in scope and powers, including merger review, market studies, and consumer enforcement.
• Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC): Japan's competition enforcement agency enforcing the Antimonopoly Act. Comparable as a national competition regulator with authority over cartels, abuse of dominance, and merger review, though operating under a distinct legal framework.
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC): Australia's primary competition, consumer, and fair trading regulator. The most direct functional peer given the trans-Tasman cross-appointment arrangement and overlapping statutory mandates across both countries' competition and consumer protection laws.
• U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC): U.S. federal agency enforcing antitrust and consumer protection law. Comparable in mandate across competition enforcement, merger review, and consumer protection, though operating at much greater scale.
• European Commission - DG Competition: Competition directorate of the European Commission, enforcing EU competition rules including merger control and antitrust. Comparable in regulatory function and statutory authority, though operating at supranational scale.
• Competition Bureau Canada: Canada's federal competition regulator enforcing the Competition Act. Closely comparable in mandate (competition enforcement, merger review, consumer protection) and in operating within a relatively concentrated national economy.
• U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division: U.S. federal agency responsible for enforcing antitrust law alongside the FTC. Comparable in core mandate of criminal and civil antitrust enforcement, merger review, and competition advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Financial Markets Authority (New Zealand): New Zealand's financial markets regulator taking over consumer credit regulation from the Commerce Commission on 1 July 2026. Functionally adjacent as a NZ Crown entity with overlapping jurisdiction over financial services conduct.
• Ofcom (UK): UK communications regulator covering telecommunications, broadcasting, and postal services. Comparable in regulating telecommunications infrastructure and consumer issues in that sector, an area that overlaps with the Commerce Commission's telecommunications regulation function.
• Reserve Bank of New Zealand: New Zealand's central bank, collaborating with the Commerce Commission on payment system modernisation and retail payments regulation. Operates overlapping regulatory interests in payments systems and economic infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CommerceCommission
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommerceCommission
• LinkedInnz.linkedin.com/company/commerce-commission
• Xx.com/nzcomcom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Commerce Commission