The judge granted a preliminary injunction to block the merger after a three-week hearing in Portland, Oregon.

The supermarket chain had tried to join forces with Kroger, but judges sided with federal and state regulators who charged that the merger would reduce competition.

A U.S. judge blocked the pending $25-billion merger of U.S. grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons on Tuesday, in a win for the Federal Trade Commission that Kroger has said would likely scuttle the deal.

U.S. District Court for Oregon Judge Adrienne Nelson on Tuesday ruled a proposed $24.6 billion merger between grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons likely would harm consumers and halted it.

The proposed merger between supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons floundered on Tuesday after judges overseeing two separate cases both halted the merger. U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson issued a preliminary injunction blocking the merger Tuesday after holding a three-week hearing in Portland,

The ruling hands a victory to Biden antitrust enforcers, who said the $20 billion supermarket merger would erode competition and raise prices for consumers.