What do firms agree on to limit competition through set pricing?

Firms agree on collusion as a way to limit competition through set pricing. Collusion involves an agreement between competing firms to coordinate their prices or output levels. This practice is typically aimed at maintaining higher prices and ensuring greater profitability than would be possible in a competitive market. By colluding, firms can effectively act together to reduce the competition that would normally drive prices down, thus creating a more favorable market environment for themselves.

While price manipulation, market collaboration, and price rigging might suggest some level of concerted action on pricing, they do not precisely capture the legal and economic connotations of collusion. Collusion is specifically characterized by the illicit nature of these agreements, as they violate antitrust laws aimed at promoting fair competition.