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Coco Feng

China’s market regulator is poised to announce the outcome of its months-long antitrust investigation into Trip.com Group, the country’s largest online travel services provider, as soon as this week, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The probes, launched in January by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), could be concluded as early as Monday, one of the people said.
The company could face a fine of between 2 billion yuan (US$295 million) and 6 billion yuan, according to two of them. Under China’s anti-monopoly law, violators can be penalised with confiscation of illegal proceeds and fines of up to 10 per cent of the previous year’s sales.
Trip.com, operator of the international namesake platform, global metasearch site Skyscanner, and China-focused travel platforms Ctrip and Qunar, reported net revenues of 62 billion yuan in 2025. It also holds a stake in rival Tongcheng Travel, which remains separately listed and operated.
Trip.com did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. The SAMR could not be reached for comment on Monday.
In its January announcement, the SAMR alleged that Trip.com abused its “dominant market position” and engaged in “monopolistic practices”.
The probes followed a string of local regulatory warnings and industry complaints over exclusivity demands and algorithmic interference in pricing. Authorities in southwestern Guizhou province and Zhengzhou city, central Henan province, summoned Trip.com last year.
A homestay association in southwestern Yunnan province, which accused the company of anti-competitive conduct and threatened legal action in December, vowed last week to sue Trip.com after the antitrust probes conclude.
In March, Trip.com quietly took down its “AI business assistant” – a tool that enabled algorithm-based pricing adjustments and was widely seen as encroaching on merchants’ pricing autonomy.
Upon reporting its first-quarter earnings in June, the company warned of a “significant fine” from the investigation, which “may have a material adverse effect on the company’s consolidated financial position, operating results, or cash flows”.
Despite posting 17 per cent revenue growth in the March quarter, Trip.com forecast a slowdown to between 3 and 8 per cent in the following quarter – its weakest since late 2022 – amid rising energy costs.


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Market regulator expected to close investigation into top online travel service provider, with potential fines running into billions of yuan


Market regulator expected to close investigation into top online travel service provider, with potential fines running into billions of yuan.


Trip.com faces verdict as China to wrap up antitrust probes as soon as this week: sources

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Market regulator expected to close investigation into top online travel service provider, with potential fines running into billions of yuan

Market regulator expected to close investigation into top online travel service provider, with potential fines running into billions of yuan