German antitrust watchdog launches new proceedings against Amazon (updated)

Altex Industries

18/05/2021 10:51

(Adds Amazon comment, background)
    BERLIN, May 18 (Reuters) - Germany's antitrust watchdog said
on Tuesday it has launched a new investigation into whether U.S.
ecommerce giant Amazon  AMZN.O  is exploiting its market
dominance.
    "In a first step, we are looking at whether Amazon is of
outstanding, cross-market importance for competition," the
Federal Cartel Office said in a statement. 
    Should it find that such a marketing position exists, new
rules for digital companies would allow it to prohibit any
anti-competitive behaviour at an earlier stage, the watchdog
said.
    Changes to Germany's antitrust laws for digital
corporations, which came into effect earlier this year, give the
Cartel Office more power in identifying and prohibiting some
companies' dominant positions. 
    The Bonn-based authority has already initiated proceedings
against Amazon's price control mechanisms and relationships with
third-party traders selling on its site.
    A spokesman for Amazon said it could not comment on ongoing
proceedings.

 (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle
Editing by Caroline Copley)
 ((kirsti.knolle@thomsonreuters.com;))