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Amazon Loses Bid to Delay FTC Antitrust Trial as California Case Looms

By  |  October 11, 2026
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Amazon.com has failed to persuade a federal judge to postpone a major antitrust trial brought by the Federal Trade Commission, leaving the online retail giant facing the prospect of overlapping legal proceedings in Washington and California.

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    U.S. District Judge John Chun rejected Amazon’s request on Friday, October 9, to move the federal trial from March 29, 2027, to June 2027, according to reporting by Bryan Koenig of Law360 and a separate report by MLex.

    The decision represents a procedural setback for Amazon as it prepares to defend itself against allegations that its business practices unlawfully restrict competition and contribute to higher prices in online retail.

    According to Law360, the FTC’s case centers on allegations that Amazon has established an artificial minimum price level across online retail markets. Federal regulators contend that the company’s conduct undermines competition, while Amazon faces a separate antitrust challenge brought by California’s attorney general.

    The potential scheduling conflict between those proceedings was central to Amazon’s attempt to secure additional time before the federal trial, Law360 reported.

    Chun declined to alter the timetable, emphasizing that preparations for the March 2027 trial were already underway.

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    The judge said he had been preparing for the scheduled proceedings for some time and saw insufficient justification for changing the date, according to MLex’s October 9 account of the ruling.

    The ruling leaves Amazon confronting the logistical demands of defending major antitrust cases in separate courts, potentially requiring the company and its legal teams to manage competing litigation schedules.

    The FTC’s lawsuit is part of a broader effort by U.S. regulators to challenge business practices they allege allow dominant technology companies to maintain market power at the expense of competitors and consumers.

    In Amazon’s case, the federal allegations focus on the company’s influence over pricing and competition in online retail. The government’s claims remain allegations that must be established through the legal process.

    The scheduling decision does not determine whether Amazon violated antitrust law. It instead establishes that the federal proceedings will remain on their existing timetable despite the possibility of conflict with California’s separate litigation.

    For Amazon, the immediate consequence is that preparations for the March 29 trial must continue without the additional time the company sought.

    Source: Law360