In terms of sheer numbers, the prolific business mergers of late far surpass any past concentration trends, but due to their international character they have also taken on a new quality. Between 1994 and 1998, the value of mergers between companies from different countries rose from 130 billion dollars to over 600 billion dollars. This wave of mergers has swept through nearly all branches of business and industry, with particular force in banking and insurance, in the chemical industry, the motor vehicle sector, telecommunications and air traffic.
Full article available only as PDF