China: State Administration for Market Regulation announces investigation into Meituan for alleged abuse of dominant market position

On 26 April 2021, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has announced an investigation into online food delivery platform Meituan for alleged abuse of market dominance under the Anti-Monopoly Law. Specifically, Meituan allegedly applied differential rates with the help of algorithms and convinced merchants on the platform to sign exclusive cooperation agreements. Following the investigation, an administrative penalty decision will be made pursuant to Articles 47 and 49 of the Anti-Monopoly Law.