State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC)
| Director: | Zhou Bohua |
| Deputy Directors: | Liu Yuting Fu Shuangjian Liu Fan Wang Dongfeng Zhong Youping |
| Address: | 8 Sanlihe Donglu, Xicheng District, Beijing 100820 |
| Telephone: | 86-10-6801 -0463; 6801-3447 |
| Facsimile: | 86-10-6801- 0463; 6801-3447 |
| E-mail: | dfa@saic.gov.cn |
| Website: | www.saic.gov.cn |
| Departments: | General Office; Law; Personnel and Education; Foreign Affairs; Fair Trade Bureau; Direct Selling Regulation Bureau; Consumer Protection Bureau; Market Regulation; Advertising Regulation; Enterprise Registration Bureau; Registration Bureau of Foreign-Invested Enterprise; Regulation of Private Economy; Supervision Bureau; Trademark Office; Trademark Appeal Board |
SAIC is responsible for regulating domestic day-to-day commercial activities. All commercial entities in China must register with SAIC and submit annual or tri-annual re-registration documents to local SAIC offices as required by law. Any changes in business scope or ownership structure must also be registered with SAIC.
SAIC's role as the registration authority for commercial entities in some ways overlaps with MOFCOM responsibilities for approving and regulating foreign companies. SAIC has increasingly handled responsibilities and issued rules that were formerly the purview of MOFTEC. Foreign-invested companies in China, moreover, are only considered to be "foreign" (and under MOFTEC's authority) if total foreign investment in a company is greater than 25 percent, though all foreign investment must register with MOFCOM. SAIC will soon expand and it may be the only government authority required to register the expansion of business scope for existing companies under certain aspects of China's WTO commitments. In late 2001, SAIC established the Foreign Enterprise Registration Bureau for handling the regulation of foreign representative offices or companies with foreign investment.
SAIC is also the primary government body tasked with enforcing pricing and product quality regulations. SAIC regularly collects data, monitors commercial activity, and follows up on consumer complaints. SAIC also works to enforce and monitor direct selling operations. SAIC's Trademark Bureau manages trademark registration, accreditation of authorized brand names to eligible enterprises, and investigation and enforcement of trademark compliance. SAIC also has a role in regulating the advertising industry, with responsibilities for policy development, the registration of advertising firms, and enforcement of the national Advertising Law.
SAIC has retained some authority over brokerage activities. Sectors in which brokers play a significant role include automobiles, beer, and personal care products. SAIC is also required to coordinate with state industrial authorities in overseeing company compliance with Chinese regulations. SAIC also works with the State Internal Trade Bureau to carry out price policies on goods under its control--mainly agricultural products, including grain, and salt.
Return to PART VI: State Council Directly Administered Offices