SAMR Issues "Compliance Guidelines for Pricing Practices in the Automotive Industry," Cracking Down on False Promotions and Other Violations

On February 12, the State Administration for Market Regulation released the "Compliance Guidelines for Pricing Practices in the Automotive Industry," aiming to address cutthroat competition and regulate pricing behaviors in the automotive market. The Guidelines consist of five chapters and 28 articles, clearly outlining pricing compliance requirements across all stages of automobile production and sales. They specifically target illegal practices such as failure to display prices as required, price fraud, and false promotional activities. The document emphasizes comprehensive price management throughout the entire process, promotes the establishment of fair pricing mechanisms, and encourages platforms to issue risk alerts for abnormally low prices. Additionally, the Guidelines urge enterprises to strengthen their internal pricing compliance systems, covering six key mechanisms: decision-making, contract management, supervision, and emergency response, among others. Furthermore, industry associations are encouraged to develop detailed implementation measures to help foster a market order characterized by quality-based pricing and healthy competition.