Merchant groups target Amazon in new political campaign



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WASHINGTON – Merchant groups are forming a national coalition to campaign for tougher antitrust laws, including measures that could force Amazon.com Inc. to secede from some of its lines of business.

The effort is launched Tuesday by trade groups that represent small hardware stores, office suppliers, booksellers, grocers and others, as well as business groups from 12 cities, organizers said. The traders plan to push their representatives in Congress for stricter antitrust laws and tighter enforcement of existing laws.

The groups, which collectively represent thousands of businesses, want federal legislation that would prevent the owner of a dominant online marketplace from selling their own products in competition with other sellers, a policy that could effectively separate the business from Amazon retailing from its online marketplace.

Members of the House Antitrust Subcommittee are considering such legislation as they consider changes to U.S. antitrust law, although no bills have yet been introduced.

Merchant groups also want tighter enforcement of competition laws and legal changes that would make it easier for the government to win antitrust lawsuits against large companies.

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