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Germany Bans Amazon’s Marketplace Price Caps, Seeks €59 Million Clawback

Regulators say non-transparent pricing controls risk exploiting Amazon’s market power.

Overview

  • Germany’s Federal Cartel Office ordered Amazon to stop imposing price caps on third‑party sellers in its German marketplace.
  • The watchdog issued an initial €59 million recovery using new 2023 disgorgement powers tied to alleged anti‑competitive gains.
  • Amazon said it will appeal the order within the one‑month window and described the move as an unprecedented regulatory decision.
  • The authority cited opaque rules and enforcement mechanisms that can penalize listings it deems too expensive, noting Amazon’s roughly 60% share of German online sales.
  • Officials said the investigation remains open and the clawback figure could rise, with any appeal to be heard by the Federal Court of Justice.