预防推高瓶装液化石油气价格，公用事业领域并购首次被禁，市场监管总局：集中后实体将在当地获得垄断地位

Core Viewpoint - The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has prohibited the establishment of a joint venture between several gas companies in Nanhai District, Foshan, marking the first ban on concentration in the public utility sector since the implementation of the Anti-Monopoly Law in China, aimed at maintaining competition in the bottled liquefied petroleum gas market and protecting consumer interests [1]. Group 1 - On October 2024, six companies engaged in bottled liquefied petroleum gas business in Nanhai District, Foshan, signed an agreement to establish and jointly control a new joint venture for the investment, construction, and operation of a gas storage and distribution station [1]. - The proposed concentration did not meet the reporting standards set by the State Council, and the parties voluntarily submitted the proposal for review [1]. - The SAMR conducted multiple consultations with relevant government departments and industry associations, and commissioned an independent third-party organization to perform an economic analysis of the proposed concentration [1]. Group 2 - The evaluation indicated that the concentration would enable the involved entities to gain a dominant market position in the bottled liquefied petroleum gas market in Nanhai District, potentially facilitating coordinated behavior with other market participants, which could lead to price increases and harm fair market competition and consumer interests [1]. - Based on the findings, the SAMR legally prohibited the proposed concentration in accordance with the Anti-Monopoly Law and related regulations [1].