(2)(a) Upon a showing satisfactory to the Attorney General by a party to the proposed transaction, any material required to be submitted to the Attorney General under subsection (1) of this section is a trade secret under ORS 192.345. The Attorney General shall classify the material as confidential and the material shall not be disclosed except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection unless the Attorney General determines that the material is necessary to the determination of an issue being considered at a public hearing as provided in ORS 65.807.
(b) To the extent that the material, or any portion thereof, would otherwise qualify as a trade secret under ORS 192.345, no action taken by the Attorney General, any authorized employee of the Department of Justice or any expert or consultant employed pursuant to ORS 65.813 in inspecting or reviewing such information shall affect its status as a trade secret. [1997 c.291 §4]