China targets automated price matching, lowest-price demands in new e-commerce drive
By MLex Staff ( October 14, 2026, 07:08 GMT | Insight) -- Chinese e-commerce platforms face increased scrutiny of automated price matching, lowest-price requirements and merchant rules under a new seven-agency initiative aimed at curbing destructive competition and promoting quality-driven growth. The measures follow a landmark antitrust penalty against Trip.com and broader regulatory action in the online travel sector, against a backdrop of growing scrutiny of platform pricing mechanisms and algorithm-driven restrictions.Chinese e-commerce platforms face increased regulatory scrutiny over automated price matching and lowest-price requirements under a new government initiative aimed at curbing destructive competition, extending concerns raised by recent enforcement in the online travel sector to the broader e-commerce industry....
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