Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on Thursday made a statement against the regulators who. in his opinion, ‘are increasingly blocking mergers, including the company’s planned acquisition of robotic vacuum maker iRobot’, which fell apart earlier this year amid antitrust concerns. 

“I think it’s really kind of a sad story,” Jassy said in an interview with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin on “Squawk Box” after the Amazon chief released his annual shareholder letter. 

The acquisition stood to give iRobot a competitive boost against rivals, Jassy said, but regulators blocked the deal “because they worry that we’re going to feature our vacuum cleaner, the Roomba, vs. others, which of course, is not our model.” 

Amazon rebuffed its plan to acquire iRobot for $1.7 billion in January after Europe’s antitrust watchdog and the Federal Trade Commission said it raised competition concerns. iRobot laid off 31% of its staff, and its shares have plunged more than 75% this year. 

Jassy said the move showed that regulators “trust these two large Chinese companies with maps of the inside of U.S. consumers’ homes more than they do Amazon.” 

Amazon, Google and Microsoft… anti-trust ‘problems’ 

The robotic vacuum industry has become increasingly crowded in recent years, with companies like China-based Anker, Ecovacs, and Roborock, as well as SharkNinja, eating into iRobot’s once-dominant share of the market. 

The iRobot decision also comes as global regulators have been more aggressive in attempting to block Big Tech companies from expanding further, with the Biden administration making antitrust enforcement in the tech sector a top priority. 

As megadeals have slowed to a crawl, tech companies have made a flurry of investments in artificial intelligence startups, seeking to gain a foothold in the burgeoning market. 

Amazon last month added $2.75 billion to its stake in AI startup Anthropic, which also counts Google as one of its biggest backers. Microsoft has invested billions in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.

Regulators have also zeroed in on these partnerships, with the FTC launching an inquiry into the deals in January.

“I think people don’t know what they can do right now,” Jassy said. He urged regulators to be “more reasonable” in their stance on Big Tech deals. Amazon also faces an ongoing lawsuit by the FTC. The agency sued Amazon in September, accusing it of operating an illegal monopoly that stifles competition and raises prices for consumers while increasing costs for sellers.

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The new "Machinery Regulation," which covers emerging technologies in the manufacturing and importing of agricultural machinery, will come into effect in three and a half years. Its purpose is to address the new scenarios arising from technological advancements.

This new regulatory framework for the agricultural sector addresses autonomous machinery, the Internet of Things (IoT), connectivity between equipment, Artificial Intelligence, learning techniques, and safety guarantees.

However, no transitional provisions exist between the Machinery Directive (the previous legal framework from 2006) and this new Machinery Regulation. 

According to the European Agricultural Machinery Association (CEMA), "Manufacturers, importers, and distributors will have to comply with the Machinery Directive until January 13, 2027, and with the new Machinery Regulation starting the next day."

Machinery Regulation aims to be future-proof

The regulation includes a wide range of standards that consider current technology.

Among the regulations, it is worth noting that self-propelled machinery must have a cabin for a seated operator when its use involves hazardous substances. Additionally, machines at risk of tipping over must produce audible and visual warnings if the seat belt is not fastened. And there are other similar measures.

Regarding autonomous machinery, the regulation introduces new requirements, such as the possibility of having a supervisor, a defined working area, and good communication between the operator and the machinery. It also includes the storage of related data for decision-making purposes.

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The goal of the agreement is to strengthen the cooperation and exchange of experience between the cross-border e-commerce platforms of both countries. Austrian companies, especially SMEs, can benefit from facilitating contacts with the major Chinese e-commerce platforms and thus be present faster on the Chinese market. According to the Austrian Ministry, there should also be support provided for the import and export of quality products and services through e-commerce platforms. “China is by far Austria’s most important trade partner in Asia, and the second most important trading partner overseas, after the USA,” says Schramböck.

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It is yet unclear which sellers in concerns, but for now, these merchants are unable to sell their goods. The problem is that they basically import containers from China, stock these goods in Amazon.de warehouses and directly sell to the end-consumer. Even though German demands are clear, do not pay VAT and goods are not exanimated on hazardous substances or other European safety regulations.

On another note: Amazon is currently planning on opening physical stores in Germany, similar to those opened in the USA. It is yet unclear exactly when this will happen.

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