TOKYO -- Amazon Japan is asking many suppliers for "cooperation payments" in an apparent bid to shift some of the burden of rising shipping and other costs to business partners.
The Japanese arm of Amazon.com is seeking payments equivalent to a given percentage of sales of products stocked and sold directly by the e-commerce company, according to sources at manufacturers familiar with the situation. The company set a flat 2% rate for producers of food and daily essentials, with rates ranging from 1-5% for other vendors.
