BEIJING — General Motors’s main joint venture in China was fined $29 million on Friday on charges that it suppressed competition by enforcing minimum sales prices for dealers¹. It is the latest in a string of penalties against non-Chinese auto² brands under the country’s antimonopoly law.

北京——通用汽车(General Motors)在中国的主要合资企业上周五被处以2900万美元的罚款，原因是对经销商设定最低限价，阻碍了竞争。这是中国依据反垄断法对非中国汽车品牌施以一连串惩罚的最新一起。

Chinese regulators have punished companies in several industries, likemilk and medical devices, under the 2008 law in what appears to be an effort to force down consumer prices.

这部反垄断法制定于2008年，其目的似乎是压低消费物价，中国的监管机构以它为依据，已经对乳业和医疗设备等几个行业的企业进行了惩处。

G.M. had announced in August 2014 that Shanghai G.M., its joint venture with the state-owned Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, was under investigation³ by antimonopoly regulators.

通用汽车于2014年8月宣布，它与国有上海汽车的合资企业上汽通用公司正在接受反垄断监管机构的调查。

The Shanghai Price Bureau said that Shanghai G.M. improperly⁵ hurt competition by enforcing minimum prices dealers were allowed to charge for Cadillac, Chevrolet and Buick models.

上海市物价局称，该公司设定经销商销售凯迪拉克、雪佛兰和别克一些车型的最低价格，阻碍了竞争。

That “disrupted the normal order of market competition,” said a statement by the price bureau.

物价局表示，这种做法“扰乱了正常的市场竞争秩序”。

Setting minimum retail⁶ prices is a common practice in many markets, but lawyers say Chinese regulators appear to regard it as an improper⁴ restraint on competition.

设定最低销售价格的做法在很多市场都是惯例，但律师们表示，中国监管机构似乎认为这是对竞争的不当约束。

The price bureau’s statement said the penalty was set at 4 percent of Shanghai G.M.’s annual sales, or 201 million yuan, about $29 million.

物价局的声明称，对该公司处以上一年销售额4%的罚款，共计人民币2.01亿元。

G.M. vies with Volkswagen for the status of the top-selling vehicle brand in China.

通用正在和大众争夺中国最畅销汽车品牌的地位。

Sales of G.M. vehicles in China are up 8.5 percent so far this year, to 3.4 million.

通用汽车今年在中国的销量到目前为止增长了8.5%，达340万辆。

“G.M. fully respects local laws and regulations wherever we operate,” the company said in a statement. “We will provide full support to our joint venture in China to ensure that all responsive and appropriate actions are taken with respect to this matter.”

“通用汽车完全尊重营业所在地的法规，”公司在一份声明中表示。“我们将对在华合资企业提供全力支持，以确保合资企业针对此事采取相应的适当举措。”

President-elect Donald J. Trump⁷ has criticized Chinese trade practices, but there was no indication the case was linked to that.

候任总统唐纳德•J•特朗普(Donald J. Trump)批评过中国在贸易上的做法，但没有迹象表明这个案件与其有关。

Audi, Volkswagen’s luxury unit, was fined $40.5 million, and Fiat⁸ Chrysler Automobiles⁹’ Chrysler brand received a smaller penalty in 2014 on similar charges of enforcing minimum sales prices.

大众汽车的豪华品牌奥迪被罚款4050万美元，菲亚特克莱斯勒汽车公司(Fiat Chrysler Automobiles)的克莱斯勒品牌曾因限制最低销售价格，在2014年遭受了类似处罚，不过罚款金额较少。

State media cited an official saying Daimler Benz’s Mercedes unit was guilty of violations¹⁰, but no penalty was announced. Toyota Motor Corporation said its Lexus unit was under scrutiny¹¹, but no results have been announced.

官方媒体引用一个官员的说法，称戴姆勒奔驰(Daimler Benz)的奔驰品牌也有违规，但没有宣布具体惩罚措施。丰田汽车公司(Toyota Motor Corporation)表示，其雷克萨斯品牌正在接受审查，但尚未宣布结果。

The industrywide investigation began in 2014 after complaints of foreign auto brands abusing their control over supplies of spare parts to overcharge consumers. In the case of Mercedes, regulators said purchasing the spare parts needed to assemble one car would cost as much as 12 new vehicles.

2014年，中国开始进行全行业的调查，之前有投诉称外国汽车品牌利用它们对配件供应的控制权，向消费者收取过高费用。监管机构表示，更换某款奔驰轿车所有配件的花费可购买12辆新车。