Burger King & Tim Hortons Get One Step Closer To The Altar With Canadian Watchdog’s Approval

Before those two crazy kids Burger King and Tim Hortons can start planning their wedding, they need to get the blessing of their parent nations’ respective antitrust regulators. Bringing the happy couple one step closer to walking down that aisle is Canada’s antitrust watchdog, which just gave the nuptials the go-ahead today.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Canadian Competition Bureau said in a statement that based on what it’s looked at, the deal is unlikely to take a slice out of, stymie or otherwise hurt competition in Canada’s fast-food industry.

“We’re pleased to have achieved this milestone and continue to work through the regulatory process,” a Tim Hortons spokesman said, while Burger King played it coy and didn’t offer a comment.

Burger King’s planned buyout of coffee chain and pride of Canada Tim Hortons is worth about $11 billion, and still has a passel of approvals to nab before it can come to fruition.

That includes Canada dubbing the deal a net benefit for the country’s economy, as other American companies are also considering making the move north to take advantage of seemingly more friendly tax laws.

Burger King-Tim Hortons Deal Clears Antitrust Hurdle [Wall Street Journal]

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