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The order prohibits the Chain Institute -- now known as the National Association of Chain Manufacturers -- from conspiring to fix, maintain or establish prices for welded chain or chain products. The Institute submitted the petition in accordance with the FTC's sunsetting policy, under which the agency presumes that it is in the public interest to terminate competition orders more than 20 years old.

The petition will be subject to public comment for 30 days, until Nov. 13.

The 1953 order stems from a 1945 FTC complaint in which the Commission alleged that the Institute's 18-member manufacturers conspired among themselves to fix and/or maintain prices for substantially all the welded, kindred, weldless, and tire chains sold in the United States. The Commission ultimately issued an order prohibiting such conduct, and the matter was upheld by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Comments on the petition should be addressed to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. Copies of the petition and of the 1964 order are available from the FTC's Public Reference Branch, Room 130, same address as above; 202-326-2222; TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710. FTC news releases and other materials also are available on the Internet at the FTC's World Wide Web site at: http://www.ftc.gov

(FTC Docket No. 4878)

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