The State Administration for Market Regulation issued rules on
administrative-penalty discretion, effective Jan. 1, 2027. Discretion is split
into five tiers: no penalty, reduced penalty, lenient penalty, ordinary penalty
and severe penalty. Severe penalty means applying relatively heavier or more
types of penalties, or higher penalty ranges, within legally available options;
for fines the amount must fall in the upper 30% (inclusive) of the statutory
minimum-to-maximum range.
