US EditionAmazon price rules anti-competitive: German regulator
- On June 2, 2025, Germany's Federal Cartel Office issued a preliminary ruling indicating that Amazon's control over third-party sellers' pricing on its platform constitutes an unfair exercise of its dominant position in the country's online retail market.
- The investigation began in November 2022 after concerns that Amazon's price caps limit third-party sellers' ability to compete fairly on its platform.
- Amazon forces sellers to keep prices within set limits and reduces visibility or removes products that violate these rules, affecting competition and seller freedom.
- Amazon holds about 60% of Germany’s online retail revenue and spokeswoman stated the pricing rules help customers find the best deals based on price, availability, and delivery speed.
- Amazon can respond to the ruling before a final decision, which could lead to mandated changes in its pricing practices and business operations in Germany.
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German Regulator Accuses Amazon of Anti-Competitive Practices
Germany’s competition regulator Federal Cartel Office is accusing Amazon of allegedly engaging in price control mechanisms which amount to anti-competitive practices that harm sellers on its platform, the FCO said in a June 2 statement. Amazon’s digital e-commerce ecosystem, including the amazon.de portal, makes up around 60 percent of overall online retail sales in Germany, it said. The company allegedly removes products from its marketplace if…
Could Germany force online giant Amazon to change its prices?
The German competition regulator is investigating whether Amazon is abusing its dominant market position to keep prices artificially high – a move which could lead to changes in how the tech giant does business in the country.
According to the German Antitrust Office, Amazon's price limits for third-party offers on the US Group's online platform are questionable in terms of competition law. Amazon "does not agree in any way with this assessment. "This applies especially if the traders concerned are no longer able to cover their own costs and the trading platform is used in an anti-trust manner to hinder the rest of the online trade," said Chief of Government Andreas M…
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