Enforcing the Unfair Trade Practice Rules of Ethiopia’s Competition Law on E-commerce: The Practice and the Challenge
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Date
2023-11
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Addis Ababa University.
Abstract
This research focuses on examining the adequacy of Ethiopian laws in addressing competition
issues within emerging e-commerce marketplaces, with a specific emphasis on unilateral
anticompetitive acts. Notwithstanding the recent initiatives and measures taken to foster a free
market economy and encourage private sector participation in Ethiopia, the current legal
frameworks do not adequately tackle the complexities and challenges arising from the expansion
of e-commerce.
The study investigates the extent to which current and developing competition laws and
institutional frameworks in Ethiopia effectively tackle common unilateral anticompetitive
practices within the realm of e-commerce. It argues that the existing competition legislation falls
short in adequately addressing issues such as flash crash, cornering or dumping, unrepresentative
pricing, failure or refusal to submit trade orders, pace making, marking the closing price, and
matching orders.
The research reveals that the current legal framework lacks provisions specifically tailored to e-
commerce marketplaces, particularly in relation to unilateral anticompetitive acts, thereby failing
to adequately address the intricacies of competition in this domain. Moreover, it highlights the
limited attention given to non-economic factors and implicit anticompetitive conduct within
Ethiopian competition law.
This thesis aims to shed light on the practices and challenges within existing laws while providing
insights into the necessary legal and institutional reforms required for the effective regulation of
competition, with a specific focus on unilateral anticompetitive acts, in Ethiopia's emerging e-
commerce marketplaces.