Amazon expects to extend France warehouse closures to May 18

Amazon plans to extend until May 18 the closure of its six French warehouses, which have been closed since April 16 after court rulings ordering the U.S. e-commerce giant to restrict deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic.

Amazon said on Wednesday it was continuing to consult with staff representatives and was also reviewing their request to include an independent expert in the process. "Our fulfillment centers are safe. However, the potential penalty outlined by the Versailles Court of Appeal means that even a rate of 0.1% of handling or shipping items that are not included in the judgment could lead to a fine of more than a billion euros per week," Amazon said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, this means we have no option but to keep our fulfillment centers in France temporarily closed. We, therefore, anticipate a further extension of the temporary closure until May 18," it added.

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