What did Italy's anti-trust authority fine Amazon?

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Italy’s anti-trust authority on Thursday fined Amazon 1.13 billion euros ($1.3 billion), accusing the company of exploiting its dominant position against independent sellers on its website in violation of European Union competition rules.

Why is Amazon being fined in Italy?

Italy’s competition authority announced that it had fined Amazon €1.129 billion, or roughly $1.3 billion at today’s exchange rate. According to the antitrust watchdog, Amazon has abused its dominant market position and pushed third-party sellers to use the company’s logistics service Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).

Why is Amazon investing in Italy?

Amazon has invested heavily in Italy, a market once resistant to e-commerce that came to embrace it during the pandemic. In Italy, Amazon has built fulfillment warehouses and other parts of its logistics system to help draw customers with speedy delivery.

Does Amazon offer fulfillment by Amazon?

Fulfillment by Amazon is an optional offering, the company said, and a majority of third-party merchants selling products on Amazon do not use the company’s logistics system. The company said there were other methods for outside vendors to reach Prime customers other than Fulfillment by Amazon.