Japan Fair Trade Commission Raids Amazon Japan Over Pricing Allegations

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission raided Amazon Japan on Tuesday, suspecting violations of anti-monopoly laws, a government source revealed.

The e-commerce giant is accused of pressuring sellers to lower prices in exchange for better product placement on its platform. An official statement is pending, and Amazon Japan has not responded to inquiries. The Japanese regulator previously investigated Amazon Japan in 2018 over similar concerns, leading to commitments for improved business practices. This raid follows reports of potential EU scrutiny next year of Amazon’s practices favouring its products on its marketplace.