为规范市场竞争，中国进一步明确并加大对价格违法行为的处罚力度。国家市场监管总局7月2日出台《价格违法行为行政处罚规定（修订征求意见稿）》，对低价倾销、价格歧视、价格串通、价格欺诈、哄抬价格等行为，将没收违法所得，可以并处违法所得五倍以下的罚款。 若没有违法所得的，给予警告，可以并处违法行为发生期间销售额1%以上、10%以下的罚款；情节严重的，责令停业整顿，或者吊销营业执照。
国家市场监管总局网站刊登征求意见稿全文，还针对新业态中的价格违法行为做出明确处罚规定，电子商务平台经营者利用大数据分析、算法等技术手段，对同一商品或服务在同等交易条件下设置不同价格的，或者为排挤竞争对手或者独占市场，尚不具有市场支配地位的电商平台通过补贴等形式以低于成本的价格倾销的，给予警告，可以并处上一年度销售总额1‰以上、5‰以下的罚款。
征求意见稿还明确，罚款上限不得超过经营者上一年度销售额的10%。 去年12月中共中央政治局会议首次明确提出“强化反垄断和防止资本无序扩张”后，中国反垄断调门持续提高。4月中旬，针对阿里巴巴“实施滥用市场支配地位行为”持续四个月的反垄断调查，以开出182.28亿元的创纪录罚单阶段性收官；该罚款金额为阿里巴巴2019年中国境内销售额4,557.12亿元的4%。
4月26日市场监管总局又称，根据举报，依法对外卖平台--美团实施“二选一”等涉嫌垄断行为立案调查。但迄今并未公布调查结果。美团2020年收入按年升18%至1,148亿元人民币。
征求意见稿详细指出，
--为了排挤竞争对手或者独占市场，以低于成本的价格倾销的，
--经营者提供相同商品或者服务，对具有同等交易条件的其他经营者实行价格歧视的的，
--对于相互串通，操纵市场价格，造成商品价格较大幅度上涨的，
--利用虚假的或者使人误解的价格手段，诱骗消费者或者其他经营者与其进行交易的，
--采取抬高等级或者压低等级等手段销售、收购商品或者提供服务，变相提高或者压低价格的， 均将没收违法所得，可以并处违法所得五倍以下的罚款；若没有违法所得的，可并处违法行为发生期间销售额1%以上、10%以下的罚款。
China proposes rules to punish illegal e-commerce pricing
China's market regulator issued draft rules on July 2 to punish illegal pricing activities, including heavy subsidies and the practice by online platforms of charging different prices based on customers' purchasing behaviour.
The rules are the latest in an effort by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) to rein in China's free-wheeling platform economy, which has seen it levy fines, launch investigations and issue warnings to booming e-commerce giants.
"The pricing practices have been widespread among online platforms and it is a hidden problem to ordinary consumers because it's not very easy to notice," said Lu Zhenwang, chief executive officer of Shanghai-based Wanqing Consultancy.
Consumers over the years have complained on social media that e-commerce platforms don't charge the same price for the same offerings.
Among the practices banned in the rules proposed on Friday are subsidies that cut the price of a product to below cost.
Violation of the rules could incur a fine of 0.1% to 0.5% of a business' annual sales or even suspension of operations, SAMR said.
In an April meeting with the market regulator in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, platform companies including JD.com, Meituan, Alibaba's food delivery arm Ele.me, Trip.com and Didi Chuxing pledged not to take advantage of big data to charge loyal customers more.
In March, state news agency Xinhua reported that Alibaba's online travel agency Fliggy offered different ticket prices for the same flight, with more loyal users getting a higher price. In the same article, Xinhua said Meituan charged different prices for the same pet care product.
Alibaba and Meituan did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters on Friday.
In October, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism imposed a rule banning the practice of differentiated pricing by online travel services.
In April, SAMR fined Alibaba a record 18 billion yuan ($2.78 billion) for abuse of its dominant market position and announced an antitrust investigation into Meituan.
