Amazon spent $9.4M lobbying last year, nearly twice as much as in 2014. The online retail giant used much of it in efforts to convince the US and EU to adopt new airspace rules for the e-retailer’s drone program, as well as allowing longer trucks on the roads.
Transportation costs have always been one of Amazon’s chief concerns, and now that Amazon has its own truck fleet, cargo plane leases, drones, and ocean freight forwarding business, the company is willing to spend that capital lobbying to safeguard them, the New York Times reports.
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And as Amazon’s shipping costs jumped 37% to $4.17B in Q4, some investors have had concerns over its transportation investments, while others wonder if Amazon has plans to become a shipper in and of itself.
“Drones and longer trucks, what are all these efforts for?” political activist and consumer advocate Ralph Nader wonders. “To get you your toothpaste faster?” [NYT]
