China: Consultation closed on draft Provisions on the Prohibition of Monopoly Agreements

On 27 July 2022, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) closed its consultation on the draft Provisions on the Prohibition of Monopoly Agreements, which update its regulations prohibiting monopoly agreements in line with the recently amended Anti-Monopoly Law. The draft Provisions outline the responsibilities of state agencies in investigating monopoly agreements. Further, the draft Provisions precisely define a monopoly agreement as "an agreement, decision, or other concerted conduct which excludes or restricts competition." The draft Provisions provide interpretive guidance on monopoly agreements, and extensive lists of prohibited practices, and prescribe the process by which investigations are to take place.