A roll-on/roll-off ship docks at a berth at Lianyungang Port in East China's Jiangsu Province on August 25, 2026, to load China-made vehicles for export. Photo: VCG

China released guidelines for fair overseas competition and compliance in the auto industry on Tuesday, offering practical references for overseas marketing and competitive practices, as well as compliance requirements covering production safety, quality management, labor protection and data security.

The guidelines, released by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation, are aimed at promoting the long-term, healthy international development of the automotive industry, enhancing companies' compliance capabilities and global influence, and fostering international cooperation across global automotive industrial and supply chains.

Companies must ensure price compliance for parts and complete vehicles in accordance with laws and regulations, and must not disrupt competition to gain unfair advantages, according to the guidelines.

When setting recommended retail prices for vehicles abroad, companies should establish clear price tiers for different configurations based on local laws, market principles and commercial practices, and avoid frequent or sharp price fluctuations that could harm consumers' interests or brand image, the guidelines noted.

In addition, auto enterprises should respect the independent pricing rights of dealers and agents in host countries or regions in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and conduct effective compliance supervision over them.

While adapting production and operations to local conditions and improving overseas workplace safety management, enterprises should comply with the relevant labor laws and regulations of the host country or region, recruit employees in accordance with the principles of equal opportunity and fair treatment, and place emphasis on providing vocational skills training in areas such as automobile production and manufacturing, sales and promotion.

Companies are required to take necessary measures to ensure that all data processing activities related to connected vehicles and autonomous driving — including collection, use, protection, and cross-border transfers — comply with applicable laws. They must also adhere to personal information protection regulations and safeguard consumer privacy.

In addition, enterprises should strengthen overseas antitrust compliance by effectively identifying, assessing, and managing various antitrust legal risks, said the guidelines.

In recent years, China's automotive industry has achieved tangible results in its global expansion. According to customs statistics, China exported 8.32 million vehicles in 2025, which were sold to more than 200 countries and regions. 

Chinese companies have invested in automobile manufacturing in over 80 countries and regions, providing global consumers with high-quality, affordable, safe, reliable, and green low-carbon mobility solutions, and thereby making positive contributions to the development of the global automotive industry.

The guidelines, as a concrete achievement in building the overseas comprehensive service system, is a public service product designed to support automotive industry enterprises in their overseas expansion. It helps companies promptly regulate their overseas competitive practices, strengthen compliance systems, and enhance their international operational capabilities and influence, an official with the MOFCOM said on Tuesday.

During the formulation of the guidelines, full account was taken of the current situation of Chinese enterprises' overseas production and operations, and reference was made to the compliance practices of leading companies in the industry. This provides practical and actionable guidance for automotive enterprises expanding overseas, the official said.

Moreover, the guidelines emphasize the basic principles of law-based compliance, fair competition, and mutual benefit. It helps guide automotive enterprises to actively fulfill their social responsibilities overseas and better integrate into the economic and social development of host countries. It also contributes to expanding high-level opening-up and cooperation in the automotive sector, and promotes the deep integration and common development of global automotive industrial and supply chains, the MOFCOM official noted.