State Administration for Market Regulation: Further Improve the System of Entrusted Review of Operator Concentration

The State Administration for Market Regulation announced on March 20th that it will further improve the entrusted review system for business operator concentration. According to operational needs, the Administration may delegate the review of non-simple cases that meet the following standards to market regulation departments in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Chongqing, Shaanxi, and other five provinces (municipalities directly under the central government): 1. The combined market share of the operators involved in the concentration within the same relevant market is between 15% and 25%; 2. In upstream and downstream markets, the market share of the operators involved in the concentration is between 25% and 35%; 3. Operators involved in the concentration that are not in the same relevant market and do not have upstream or downstream relationships, with each market share related to the transaction being between 25% and 35%.