The three departments released the "Guidelines for Overseas Competitive Behavior and Compliance Construction in the Automotive Industry."

Notice on Issuing the "Guidelines for Overseas Competitive Conduct and Compliance Construction in the Automotive Industry" by the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and State Administration for Market Regulation Provincial, Autonomous Region, Municipality, and Plan-Listed City Commerce, Industry and Information Technology, and Market Supervision Departments, as well as relevant enterprises: To promote the healthy and orderly international development of the automotive industry, guide automotive enterprises to overseas competitive conduct, strengthen compliance construction, deepen international cooperation in the automotive supply chain, and promote the development and progress of the global automotive industry, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the State Administration for Market Regulation have formulated the "Guidelines for Overseas Competitive Conduct and Compliance Construction in the Automotive Industry," which are hereby issued for your reference in your work. Ministry of Commerce Ministry of Industry and Information Technology State Administration for Market Regulation August 24, 2026 Guidelines for Overseas Competitive Conduct and Compliance Construction in the Automotive Industry Chapter One General Principles Article 1 In order to promote the healthy and orderly internationalization of China's automotive industry, guide automotive enterprises to overseas competitive conduct, strengthen compliance construction, improve multinational operational capabilities and international influence, and promote the development and progress of the global automotive industry, these guidelines are formulated. Article 2 Chinese automotive enterprises engaged in international production and business activities must execute market competition and other production and management behaviors occurring overseas in accordance with these guidelines. Article 3 The overseas production and operations of automotive enterprises should abide by the basic principles of lawful compliance, fair competition, and mutual benefit, and strictly adhere to relevant laws and regulations as well as policies concerning foreign investment, foreign economic cooperation, and foreign trade in China, actively practicing the requirements of the "Guidelines for Enterprises to Fulfill Social Responsibilities Overseas," "Guidelines for Enterprises' Overseas Integrity and Compliance," "Guidelines for Enterprises' Overseas Antitrust Compliance," and others. Chapter Two Regulating Overseas Market Competition Behavior Article 4 Enterprises may establish a pricing strategy based on cost and guided by international market supply and demand, manage the compliance of their product prices for components and complete vehicles in accordance with laws and regulations, and not disrupt the market competition order to gain unfair competitive advantages. Article 5 When setting the suggested retail price for complete vehicles in overseas markets, enterprises should comply with the laws and regulations of the host country (region), market principles, and business practices, setting clear price gradients for different vehicle configurations to avoid impacting the interests of overseas consumers and brand image due to frequent and significant price fluctuations. Article 6 Enterprises may reasonably determine price differences between countries (regions) based on the actual situation of different countries (regions), taking into account local market environments, tax structures, logistics costs, and other factors, to avoid chaotic sales order. Article 7 Enterprises should respect the pricing autonomy of dealers and agents in the host country (region) in accordance with laws and regulations and conduct compliance supervision of dealers and agents. When providing sales incentives to overseas dealers and agents, explicit and reasonable agreements should be made in accordance with regulations, and the agreed obligations should be fully fulfilled. Article 8 When selling goods or providing services overseas, enterprises should conduct transparent and clear pricing in compliance with laws and regulations, and refrain from arbitrary price increases or imposing undisclosed fees beyond the listed price. Article 9 When enterprises engage in promotional activities overseas such as prize sales, free trials, discounts, and gift promotions, they should comply with laws and regulations, respect local business practices and cultural customs, and fulfill contract commitments. Article 10 When conducting brand display and promotional activities overseas, enterprises should truthfully and completely disclose relevant information according to the regulations of the host country (region), refrain from false advertising, and not deceive or mislead consumers, thus maintaining the image of Chinese automotive brands. Chapter Three Enhancing Local Compliance Operational Capabilities Overseas Article 11 Enterprises should conduct production and business activities locally in accordance with Chinas foreign investment cooperation policy directions and actual conditions of the host country (region), ensuring compliance throughout the entire process of surveys, discussions, construction, production, pricing, procurement, and services. Enterprises should enhance assessments of products going overseas, avoiding export of products that do not meet the needs of target markets and usage environments. Article 12 Enterprises should strengthen the assessment of risks regarding the political situation, macroeconomics, social security, and the automotive industry in the host country (region), improve emergency handling plans for production safety accidents, regularly inspect risk hazards, and enhance the level of safety production management overseas. Article 13 Enterprises should establish and improve overseas market quality management and after-sales service systems for automotive-related products, conduct market research and adaptive development, enhance service levels, and better meet overseas market demands. Article 14 Enterprises should comply with relevant labor laws and regulations in the host country (region), recruit employees based on principles of equal opportunity and fair treatment, focus on vocational skills training in automotive production, sales promotion, and other areas, facilitate the career development of employees, and improve employee rights protection mechanisms. Article 15 Enterprises should take necessary measures to ensure that data processing activities related to the Internet of Vehicles and autonomous driving, including information collection, usage, protection, and cross-border data transmission, are compliant with regulations, adhere to laws and regulations regarding personal data processing, and protect consumers' personal privacy. Article 16 Enterprises should comply with laws and regulations concerning intellectual property protection in both China and the host country (region), strengthen the layout and protection of self-owned intellectual property in the overseas market for the automotive industry, and avert infringement risks. They should the use of intellectual property in fields such as design, component production, and communication technology, and properly address intellectual property disputes. Article 17 Enterprises should strengthen compliance construction regarding overseas antitrust issues, effectively identify, assess, and control various antitrust legal risks, and uphold honesty, lawfulness, and fair competition. Article 18 Enterprises should promote the green low-carbon transformation of the supply chain in accordance with the requirements of the "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change," climate regulations in the host country (region), and automotive industry emission reduction targets, actively fulfilling environmental responsibilities. Chapter Four Supplementary Provisions Article 19 These guidelines serve as general guidance for the overseas competitive conduct and compliance construction of automotive enterprises, intended for reference. In practical implementation, enterprises should closely monitor the latest laws, regulations, and policy requirements from China, the host country (region), and relevant international organizations, and adjust and improve their operations accordingly. Article 20 These guidelines are interpreted by the Ministry of Commerce in conjunction with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation. Interpretation of the "Guidelines for Overseas Competitive Conduct and Compliance Construction in the Automotive Industry" by the Head of the Department of Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce Recently, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the State Administration for Market Regulation released the "Guidelines for Overseas Competitive Conduct and Compliance Construction in the Automotive Industry" (hereinafter referred to as the "Automotive Guidelines"). The head of the Department of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce provided an interpretation of the "Automotive Guidelines." 1. Background of Issuance The Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council attach great importance to the international development of the automotive industry. In recent years, Chinas automotive industry has achieved pragmatic success in going global. According to customs statistics, in 2025, China exported 8.32 million vehicles to over 200 countries and regions. Chinese enterprises have invested in the automotive manufacturing industry in more than 80 countries and regions, providing global consumers with high-quality, affordable, safe, reliable, and green low-carbon mobility options, making positive contributions to the global automotive industry's development. The "Automotive Guidelines" are a specific measure to implement the decisions and deployment made by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party concerning the improvement of the comprehensive service system overseas and guiding the reasonable and orderly cross-border layout of the industrial chain and supply chain, aiming to promote the long-term and healthy internationalization of the automotive industry, enhance automotive enterprises' compliance operational capabilities and international influence, and facilitate international cooperation in the global automotive industry chain and supply chain. 2. Main Content The "Automotive Guidelines" consist of four chapters and twenty articles, providing references for Chinese automotive enterprises engaged in international production and business activities regarding market competition and other production and operation behaviors occurring overseas. The focus is on the competitive behaviors of automotive enterprises in overseas marketing, as well as compliance construction in safety production, quality management, labor protection, and data security. 3. Main Features First, it emphasizes public service attributes. The "Automotive Guidelines," as a specific achievement in the construction of the overseas comprehensive service system, serve as a public service product for assisting automotive enterprises going global, aiding enterprises to timely overseas competitive conduct, strengthen compliance construction, and improve international operational standards and influence. Second, it highlights practical application orientation. During the formulation process of the "Automotive Guidelines," the current situation of Chinese enterprises in overseas production and business activities was fully considered, and experiences from leading enterprises regarding compliance practices were referenced, providing actionable guidance for automotive enterprises going abroad. It encourages enterprises to adopt localized approaches, complying with applicable laws, antitrust policies, market principles, and commercial customs, and to continuously adjust and improve their work through implementation. Third, it emphasizes a cooperative and win-win philosophy. The "Automotive Guidelines" stress the basic principles of lawful compliance, fair competition, and mutual benefit, aiding automotive enterprises in actively fulfilling social responsibilities overseas and better integrating into the economic and social development of the host country; it facilitates the expansion of high-level open cooperation in the automotive industry and promotes deep integration and joint development of the global automotive industry chain and supply chain. Next, the Ministry of Commerce will continue to work with relevant departments to further enhance the overseas comprehensive service system and better guide the reasonable and orderly cross-border layout of the automotive industry. This article is extracted and compiled from the "Ministry of Commerce" official website, GMTEight edited by Liu Jiayin.