China's SAMR Launches 16 Campaigns With 39 Targets to Curb Price Wars and Unfair Competition
Updated
Updated · Global Times · Jul 7
China's SAMR Launches 16 Campaigns With 39 Targets to Curb Price Wars and Unfair Competition
2 articles · Updated · Global Times · Jul 7
Summary
Sixteen special campaigns are being rolled out by China's market regulator to tighten enforcement, deepen platform governance and improve upstream oversight as Beijing moves against "involutionary" competition.
Fifty-two antitrust merger reviews were completed in the first half in sectors including autos, photovoltaics and lithium batteries, where regulators said destructive competition risks were prominent.
Certification oversight was also tightened: 16 product categories were shifted to third-party certification, 11 certification bodies lost approvals, 25 applications were withdrawn, and 1,700 of more than 10,000 rules were scrapped.
Nationwide authorities handled 11,465 unfair-competition cases in the first half, including 2,005 involving false online advertising and online commercial defamation, as SAMR's 2026 crackdown targeted online smear tactics and false claims.
The regulator now plans rule changes on predatory low-price dumping and fair-competition reviews of government policies, aiming to curb no-bottom-line discounting and give all market players more equal conditions.
Can Beijing's regulators stop brutal price wars while its industrial policies continue to fuel massive overcapacity?
Is China's crackdown on tech price wars a domestic cleanup or a strategic shift for global competition?
China’s 2026 Regulatory Overhaul: SAMR’s Campaign Against Involution and Its Impact on Industry and Trade
Overview
In 2026, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) intensified its efforts to curb 'involutionary' competition by launching sweeping campaigns across various sectors. SAMR focused on fostering fair market practices and healthy industry development, notably by releasing typical cases of unfair competition in the AI field to guide businesses toward legal and compliant operations. These actions highlight SAMR’s commitment to addressing new forms of anti-competitive behavior as technology evolves, and its proactive approach is further demonstrated by the introduction of new draft regulations targeting food delivery platforms, aiming to ensure sustainable and transparent market practices.