BUSINESS

China Fines Trip.com $765 Million Following Antitrust Probe

Published: Jul. 27, 2026 3:58 p.m. GMT+8

00:00

00:00/00:00

Listen to this article 1x

Trip.com's headquarters in Shanghai. Photo: VCG

China’s market regulator fined online travel giant Trip.com Group Ltd. 5.18 billion yuan ($765 million) for abusing its dominant market position by forcing hotels into exclusive agreements and price-parity requirements.

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said Saturday that Trip.com had used platform rules, traffic allocation and technology since 2020 to restrict competition in China’s online hotel-booking market.

You've accessed an article available only to subscribers

Subscribe today for just $.99.

VIEW OPTIONS

Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.

Save an extra $50. Introductory offer for new readers. Subscribe now.

Share this article

Open WeChat and scan the QR code

DIGEST HUB

Digest Hub

Back

Explore the story in 30 seconds

Trip.com fined 5.18 billion yuan ($765 million) for abusing market dominance.
Penalty includes 1.66 billion yuan confiscation and 3.52 billion yuan fine (7.5% of 2025 sales).
Company with 56.8% market share forced exclusive deals and price parity, harming competition.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

Since 2020：: Trip.com began using platform rules, traffic allocation, and technology to restrict competition in China's online hotel-booking market.

2021：: Authorities in Sichuan and Guizhou summoned Trip.com for talks over anticompetitive practices, but the company failed to make sufficient changes.

2025：: Trip.com held a 56.8% market share by revenue in online hotel bookings. Authorities in Sichuan and Guizhou again summoned the company for talks.