China unveiled guidelines on Tuesday urging its automakers to avoid disruptive pricing and disorderly competition overseas, part of a broader push to promote the healthy development of the sector as Chinese carmakers rapidly expand their global footprint.

The guidelines, jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and State Administration for Market Regulation, lay out 20 provisions covering overseas pricing, dealerships, advertising, labor rights, data security, intellectual property and antitrust compliance.

Under the guidelines, companies should base prices on costs and international supply and demand, and should not disrupt market competition in pursuit of an "improper competitive advantage".

When setting suggested retail prices abroad, automakers should establish clear price differences between vehicle configurations and avoid frequent or steep price fluctuations that could hurt consumers or damage their brands.

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The guidelines also urge companies to reasonably set price differences between countries, taking into account local taxes, logistics costs and market conditions, in order to avoid disrupting sales networks.

China exported 8.32 million vehicles in 2025 to more than 200 countries and regions, while Chinese companies have invested in automobile manufacturing in more than 80 countries and regions, MIIT data showed.