The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission fines an international brand consumer products company for disseminating information on price increases and disrupting market order (Unilever)

China’s price law and regulations expressly stipulate the form of and legal liability for disseminating information of price increases. Article 14 of the Price Law of the People’s Republic of China [1] stipulates that no operator shall engage in falsifying and disseminating information of price increase information to drive up prices; Article 6 of the Provisions on Administrative Penalties for Illegal Pricing [2] stipulates that where an operator falsifies and disseminates information about price increases, and disrupts market order, it may be ordered to correct its conduct, any unlawful gain may be confiscated and a fine less than five times such unlawful gain may be imposed; if there is no unlawful gain, a fine ranging between RMB50,000 and RMB500,000 may be imposed, or a fine ranging