SAMR Deploys Further Implementation of Anti-Unfair Competition Law

On March 25, 2026, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published the Circular on Further Implementing the Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People’s Republic of China (the “Circular”), which took effect upon issuance.

The Circular sets forth key priorities for implementing the newly revised Anti-Unfair Competition Law, focusing on the following: curbing “rat race” competition in sectors such as the platform economy, photovoltaics, lithium batteries, and new energy vehicles, and investigating cases where platforms force sales below cost; clarifying the determination of dominant position and rectification procedures for large enterprises that delay payments to small and medium-sized enterprises; strengthening regulation of online unfair competition involving data, algorithms, traffic hijacking, malicious incompatibility, and fake transaction reviews; and refining enforcement in areas such as counterfeiting and confusion, commercial bribery, and trade secret protection. It also proposes the formulation of the Regulations on Prohibiting Unfair Competition on the Internet and explores extraterritorial enforcement.