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3 clusters · 49 sources · 5 days · First seen · Last updated

China antitrust action against Trip.com

Overview

In late July 2026, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) levied a record antitrust penalty on Trip.com Group for abusing its dominance in the domestic online hotel‑booking market. The regulator imposed a total fine of roughly 5.2 billion yuan – about 7.5 % of Trip.com’s 2025 domestic sales – consisting of a fine and a confiscation of illegal gains. The decision, announced on 25 July, ordered the company to return 122 million yuan held from hotel partners and barred it from requiring exclusive contracts or enforcing price‑parity rules.

The action concluded a probe that began in January after hotels complained that Trip.com forced exclusive deals, allocated traffic to favor its own listings, and demanded that hotels display the lowest price only on its platform. The fine was reported in two formats: one breaking down a 1.658 billion‑yuan confiscation and a 3.52 billion‑yuan fine, and another citing a 16.58 billion‑yuan confiscation with a 35.21 billion‑yuan fine (totaling 51.79 billion yuan, roughly 120 billion yen). Both accounts note the same requirement to return about 1.22 billion yuan to hotels.

The penalty is the first large‑scale antitrust sanction against a Chinese online travel agency and ranks among the biggest fines imposed on Chinese platform firms since the 2021 crackdown on Alibaba. Trip.com accepted the findings, pledged compliance, and began implementing rectification measures across its business.

Entities

State Administration for Market Regulation · Trip.com Group · Chinese hotel industry

Timeline

  1. 13 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Trip.com Group hit with 120 billion‑yen antitrust fine in China

    China’s antitrust regulator fined Trip.com Group 51.79 billion yuan (≈120 billion yen) for exclusive hotel deals and forced low‑price guarantees, marking the sector’s first major penalty.

  2. 16 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 7 sources
    Chinese regulator fines Trip.com 5.2 billion yuan

    China's market regulator fined Trip.com 5.2 billion yuan, forced a 122 million‑yuan deposit refund and barred exclusive hotel contracts, citing abuse of dominant market position.

  3. 18 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 40 sources
    Trip.com hit with $770 million antitrust fine in China

    China’s regulator fined Trip.com 5.2 bn yuan (~$770 m) for abusing dominance in online hotel bookings, citing exclusive deals and forced lowest‑price rules. The company accepted the penalty and will rectify its

Sources

36kr.jp · akhbarona.com · antaranews.com · apollo.lv · archyworldys.com · arts-spectacles.com · berita.rtm.gov.my · chinesepress.com · confirmado.net · dongeradeel.nl · edigest.hk · epochtimes.com · finanzen.net · Fortune.com · fundacion-jrj.es · gewinnermagazin.de · gulfnews.com · h1.com.hk · hd.stheadline.com · hotelmarketing.com · independent.co.uk · ithome.com · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt · klik.tvnet.lv · m.soha.vn · memesita.com · mix929.com · mymotherlode.com · news.cnyes.com · news.co.za · news.hkheadline.com.hk · newsbytesapp.com · nieuws.nl · paparazzi.com.ar · sapo.pt · scMP.com · sputniknews.cn · srnnews.com · sspai.com · stocknews.com · stocktitan.net · toray.co.jp · uk-times.com · velvetnews.it · vnreview.vn · welingelichtekringen.nl · worldjumpingnews.com · wtop.com

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history