2026 National Unified Market — Removing Local Protectionism
Published: April 15, 2026
Executive Summary
China's State Council issued guidelines to accelerate the construction of a "National Unified Market," aimed at eliminating local protectionism, standardizing regulations across provinces, and ensuring that foreign-invested enterprises face consistent rules regardless of where they operate in China.
Key Points
Local protectionism elimination: provinces prohibited from imposing local registration, tax, or procurement preferences that discriminate against out-of-province or foreign enterprises
Unified negative list: single national negative list applies — no additional provincial restrictions allowed
Standardized licensing: professional qualifications and business licenses mutually recognized across all provinces
Cross-provincial enforcement: dedicated task force to investigate and penalize local protectionist practices
Digital platform: unified national business registration and compliance platform accessible to foreign enterprises
Timeline: full implementation targeted by end of 2027