China Fines Trip.com RMB5.179 Billion in First ‘Three-in-One’ Antitrust Case
The State Administration for Market Regulation imposed a combined penalty of RMB5.179 billion on Trip. com Group, ordering it to cease illegal practices, confiscating illegal gains, and levying a fine—the first such three-in-one sanction in platform-economy antitrust enforcement. The fine ratio of 7.5% surpassed the 4% on Alibaba and 3% on Meituan. The case exposed coercive “pick-one-of-two” exclusivity demands, manipulation of pricing tools to enforce lowest prices, and other anti-competitive conduct. Trip. com announced 19 corrective measures, including scrapping exclusivity clauses, in a ruling set to guide future platform competition rules.
- Effective
- -51
- Intensity
- 70
- Confidence
- 85%
- Horizon
- Short term