Cartels and competition policy are perennial topics in political debate and especially in European policy. In the late 20th century, there was a relative consensus among Western economists that market regulation was largely a bad thing and that the removal of regulation would automatically lead to better and more efficient markets. Since the 2008 financial crisis, this view has been challenged and the increasingly accepted view is that a regulatory framework is needed to establish a well-functioning market economy. The discussion has mainly concerned financial markets, but competition policy is also debated. However, a historical perspective on competition policy suggests that this discussion is not new but has been ongoing throughout the 20th century. In this project, we will study how internationalization in the form of increased trade and freer movement of capital has affected the strategies and functioning of international cartels. This is studied in three subprojects where different industries are highlighted and compared. At the same time, we also study how national and international regulations have affected the development. A special focus is also placed on Nordic cooperation in the field of competition policy and how they tackled the problem of international cartels. The project is economic-historical in nature and is based on new source research, but is also strongly rooted in economic and institutional theory.