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Alibaba's Historic $2.8bn Fine Signals Coming Antitrust Wave In China

Pharma Industry Group Prioritizes Compliance

 
• By Brian Yang

China's historic antitrust fine against Alibaba indicates regulatory attention to anticompetitive practices is mounting. Past cases show the pharma sector is not immune and while it remains segmented, investigators appear to be taking a generally more sophisticated approach to transgressions. 

Antitrust law gavel
HISTORIC ALIBABA FINE SIGNALS NEW WAVE OF ANTITRUST LITIGATION • Source: Shutterstock

Citing antitrust and anticompetition violations for sales methods used by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s TMall and its giant mobile payment platform Alipay, Chinese authorities have handed a record-setting fine to Jack Ma’s empire, potentially igniting a new wave of antitrust ligation in China with far-reaching implications.

After months of speculation, the other shoe has finally dropped, with the fine of CNY18.23bn ($2.78bn) the highest so far...

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