Overview
- Amazon Japan had its improvement plan recognized by the Japan Fair Trade Commission on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, ending the agency's immediate probe into whether the platform pushed sellers to set prices below other e‑commerce sites.
- Under the approved plan Amazon will remove the explicit rule that a seller must offer a lower price than rival sites to win the prominent Buy Box and instead make the lowest‑priced seller on Amazon more visible with price, delivery terms and a buy button.
- The Buy Box is a single, highly visible purchase slot on product pages that drives most sales, so changing its display rules materially shifts sellers' incentives and who earns most orders.
- Third‑party sellers and some economists warn that the new rule could intensify internal price competition, squeeze seller margins and lead to lower product or service quality for items where low price becomes the dominant factor.
- Regulators in Europe and the United States have pursued similar cases over Amazon's display and ranking practices, so Japan's use of a commitment process to accept a remedial plan highlights a broader global scrutiny of how platform design shapes market competition.