Max Davies New Pajero to herald a new era for Mitsubishi 3 Hours Ago The Chinese government has directed Chinese automakers to avoid disrupting sales channels for an ‘improper advantage’ in export markets. Deputy News Editor China has issued a series of guidelines on how its automakers should behave in export markets such as Australia, with directives to avoid aggressive pricing to gain an ‘improper advantage’, follow local laws and build better after-sales support. As reported by Nikkei, the guidelines were published on September 1, 2026 by China’s Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in collaboration with the country’s State Administration for Market Regulation. The guidelines state they're intended to “promote orderly and healthy international development of China’s automotive industry” and thereby “advance the development of the global automotive industry”. Key elements include directives on pricing, establishing better after-sales customer support, and ensuring customer data from connected vehicles is collected in accordance with each country’s laws. According to the new guidelines, Chinese automakers operating overseas “must not disrupt the order of market competition to obtain an improper competitive advantage”. Price wars in the competitive Chinese market have eroded profitability for automakers, making exports to overseas markets an increasingly attractive means to offset this. Between January and July 2026, China exported 72.5 per cent more passenger vehicles than during the same period the previous year, sending around 5.3 million passenger vehicles overseas, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). The guidelines, however, state Chinese automakers “should avoid creating disorder among sales channels” when operating overseas. They also “must not improperly impose arbitrary surcharges beyond the displayed price or collect fees that have not been disclosed”. China is the world’s largest producer of new vehicles, with its industry producing around 34.5 million in 2025, compared with