France sues Amazon

PARIS: French economy minister Bruno Le Maire has launched a lawsuit against American e-commerce giant Amazon for imposing unfair commercial relationships on suppliers in the country.

The legal action follows an investigation from the DGCCRF, the French body in charge of fraud control.

The DGCCRF said yesterday that Le Maire is seeking a fine of e10 million (R151m). Investigators from the DGCCRF established that Amazon imposed a series of abusive clauses on its commercial partners in France.

The DGCCRF said the French government wants “to better regulate the activity of large digital platforms and to ensure greater transparency, balance and loyalty in their relations with companies.” Amazon said it does not comment on judicial proceedings.