Amazon fights German order to repay €59m over seller pricing controls
Amazon says it will appeal a German antitrust decision that found it exercised improper control over third-party sellers' prices.
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Germany's Federal Cartel Office ordered Amazon in February to repay about €59m, ruling that the company used pricing mechanisms that improperly controlled how third-party sellers set prices on its German marketplace, according to Leaders League. The regulator worked with the European Commission, which enforces the EU's Digital Markets Act, during its investigation, the Bundeskartellamt said.
Amazon has said it will appeal the German decision, arguing that the regulator's approach conflicts with EU competition law, according to Leaders League.
The German case follows an earlier, separate EU inquiry. In 2020, the European Commission charged Amazon with using its size, power and access to seller data to favor its own products over competitors' on its marketplace, Reuters reported. Amazon offered commitments to settle that case, after facing a possible fine of up to 10% of its global turnover if found in violation.
The German ruling adds to regulatory pressure on Amazon's European operations at a time when the company is expanding its logistics network and raising worker pay across the region. Antitrust enforcement of this kind could limit how much control Amazon has over seller pricing and marketplace dynamics, tilting the risk facing the stock in the near term even as the appeal's outcome remains unresolved.