Newly public court records provide more detail about California’s allegation that Amazon pressured suppliers to raise prices at competing retailers or remove products from those stores. The claims remain pending and have not been proven at trial.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed the antitrust lawsuit in 2022. A request for a preliminary injunction cites communications that the state says show vendors responding to Amazon’s concerns about lower prices at other retailers. The state argues the conduct reduced price competition both on and off Amazon.
Examples described in court filings and news reports include a lamp whose price at another retailer rose from $24.99 to $39, an air fryer that increased from $84.99 to $149.99 and an ice-cream maker that became unavailable at one retailer before its Amazon price increased. Those examples are part of the state’s evidence and do not by themselves establish liability.
Amazon denies fixing prices. The company says California has distorted a small number of vendor communications among nearly a million and argues that its negotiations are intended to keep prices competitive for Amazon customers. It warns that the state’s requested order could interfere with routine efforts to obtain lower wholesale prices.
A preliminary-injunction hearing was scheduled for July 23, 2026, and trial for January 2027. A preliminary ruling addresses what may happen while a case proceeds; it is not the same as a final verdict.
The evidence and state’s position are available from the California Department of Justice. The records were examined by The Guardian. Amazon’s denial is included for balance.
