FTC v. Amazon Antitrust Trial Begins

What this countdown tracks

The Federal Trade Commission's monopolization trial against Amazon.com Inc. is scheduled to begin March 29, 2027 before Judge John H. Chun in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington. The case will proceed as a bench trial expected to run for several months and will test whether Amazon unlawfully maintained monopoly power in online superstore and marketplace-services markets.

Background

The FTC sued Amazon on September 26, 2023, joined by 17 state attorneys general, alleging that the company used anti-discounting practices and conditioned Prime eligibility on sellers' use of Fulfillment by Amazon to lock in monopolies over "online superstore" and "online marketplace services" markets. The complaint seeks structural and behavioral remedies rather than money damages. Judge Chun denied Amazon's motion to dismiss the core monopolization claims in September 2024, narrowing some state claims but allowing the central federal case to proceed. The discovery schedule has been contested throughout 2024 and 2025, with mlex reporting in October 2025 that the trial start was pushed from February 2026 into early 2027 to accommodate expert-witness depositions and the sheer document volume (reportedly several terabytes of internal Amazon communications). The FTC's legal team, led by Deputy Bureau Director Susan Musser, argues that Amazon's Project Nessie pricing algorithm and "featured offer" mechanics excluded rivals. Amazon has countered that consumer prices fell and choice expanded under its practices. Amazon's lead outside counsel is Williams & Connolly. Plaintiff states include California, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Oregon, and a dozen others, each litigating parallel state antitrust claims under their respective consumer-protection statutes.

Why the date matters

March 29, 2027 is the scheduling-order trial date set by Judge Chun after the most recent continuance. The date matters because it fixes the start of evidentiary proceedings in what would be the largest US tech-monopolization trial since US v. Microsoft. A bench trial means Judge Chun alone decides both liability and any remedy — there is no jury — and his schedule will dictate the phasing of FTC witnesses, Amazon's case, and any remedies hearing that could follow a liability finding. The preceding landmark, US v. Microsoft, reached trial in October 1998 and produced a November 1999 findings of fact and April 2000 conclusions of law, with a June 2001 DC Circuit en banc decision that narrowed but upheld the liability finding — a timeline that offers a rough baseline for 2027–2029 expectations.

What to watch for

• Opening statements from the FTC and Amazon on March 29, 2027.
• Testimony from Amazon executives including Doug Herrington and, potentially, Andy Jassy.
• Expert economists' models on market definition and monopoly power.
• Internal "Project Nessie" algorithm documents and whether they appear on the public record.
• State AG co-plaintiff theories that diverge from the federal claims.
• Any settlement discussions triggered by early rulings on in limine motions.
• Whether Judge Chun bifurcates liability from remedy in the schedule.
• Cross-examination of former Amazon executives about internal pricing-parity policies.
• Amicus filings from Open Markets Institute, the Chamber of Commerce, and third-party sellers.

Legal stakes

The FTC's monopolization theory under Section 2 of the Sherman Act requires proof of monopoly power and willful acquisition or maintenance of that power through exclusionary conduct. Amazon's defense will hinge on rebutting both market definition — arguing that consumers substitute freely among Amazon, Walmart, Target, and direct-to-consumer brands — and the causal link between Amazon's conduct and any anticompetitive effect. If Judge Chun finds liability, remedies could range from behavioral conduct remedies (the Microsoft 2001 consent decree model) to structural divestiture, potentially separating the Amazon Marketplace from first-party retail or Fulfillment by Amazon. The outcome will reshape US antitrust enforcement against dominant digital platforms for a decade and will inform parallel investigations of Apple, Meta, and Google.

Related events to track

The Amazon trial opens a busy 2027 US regulatory calendar that also features the CBO Budget & Economic Outlook 2027-2037 released earlier the same quarter and the JFK/RFK/MLK next declassification tranche in late January. Readers tracking broader federal enforcement pressure also watch the SCOTUS OT25 Final Opinions issued months earlier.

FAQ

When exactly does the FTC v. Amazon trial begin? Monday, March 29, 2027, in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle.

Is the trial date confirmed or expected? Confirmed by the court's scheduling order, though further continuances remain possible given the document volume and expert-discovery disputes.

Who is responsible for trying the case? The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general on one side; Amazon.com Inc. on the other; presided over by Judge John H. Chun in a bench trial.

Where can I read coverage of the schedule change? mlex has the detailed schedule summary at https://www.mlex.com/mlex/antitrust/articles/2422758/us-ftc-amazon-antitrust-trial-pushed-back-to-march-2027.