China Issues First Overseas Competition Compliance Guidelines for Auto Industry

On September 1, 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the "Guidelines for Overseas Competition Behavior and Compliance Construction in the Automotive Industry" — the country's first industry-specific overseas compliance guidance document. The guidelines encourage automakers to establish cost-based, market-supply-and-demand-oriented pricing strategies, properly manage price compliance for parts and complete vehicles, and refrain from disrupting market competition to gain unfair competitive advantages. The move aims to curb disorderly overseas price competition, strengthen compliance awareness among automakers going global, and guide the industry from low-price competition toward quality-based competition, helping Chinese auto exports achieve sustainable, steady growth.