China Solicits Feedback on Draft Scale Compliance Rules

China News Service reported that the State Administration for Market Regulation is soliciting public comments on draft compliance requirements for the online sale of electronic price-calculating scales. The consultation period runs from November 11 to December 10, 2026, aimed at standardizing sales activities and reinforcing measurement responsibilities for online sellers and trading platforms. Under the proposed requirements, online sellers would face whole-process responsibilities spanning market entry criteria, purchase controls, hardware performance, and post-sale maintenance. The draft rules would require type approvals, anti-tampering measures, and traceability management throughout sales, while strictly banning any explicit or implied promotion that electronic scales possess cheating or weight-adjusting features. The draft regulations would also direct online trading platforms to integrate measurement compliance into merchant onboarding checks, routine monitoring, and risk handling. Platforms would be expected to combine technical screening with manual inspections to intercept cheating-related keywords and clear out misleading scale promotions. The regulator indicated that it will establish regulatory red lines and clarify compliance baselines to lessen corporate risks stemming from unclear rules, while maintaining online and offline oversight to protect transaction fairness.

The draft rules seek to clarify measurement obligations for online merchants and trading platforms, protect the legitimate rights and interests of operators and consumers, and safeguard fair competition in the market.