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Japan: Regulator asked to probe Rakuten’s free shipping policy

By  |  December 1, 2019

Merchants on Rakuten’s online shopping mall have requested that the Fair Trade Commission investigate the e-commerce giant’s planned free shipping policy, according to the Japan Times. 

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    Some online stores allege that Rakuten abuses its dominant position to force them to shoulder shipping costs in violation of the antimonopoly law, the sources said Saturday.

    If the commission orders the operator to revise the policy, it could affect competition with rivals such as Amazon Japan, which ships products at low cost through its own distribution network.

    The commission has been stepping up surveillance and regulations on Rakuten and other so-called online platformers.

    Full Content: Japan Times

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