Amazon just barred third-party sellers from using FedEx for deliveries

• Amazon has barred its third-party sellers from using FedEx's ground delivery services starting this week.
• "While this decision affects a very small number of shippers, it limits the options for those small businesses on some of the highest demand shipping days in history, and may compromise their ability to meet customer demands and manage their businesses," a FedEx spokesperson told Business Insider.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Amazon has barred its third-party sellers from using FedEx's ground delivery services, FedEx confirmed to Business Insider on Monday.

Third-party sellers, which are responsible for about half of the merchandise sold on Amazon's website, are prohibited from using FedEx Ground and Home shipping services starting this week until the carrier's performance improves, Amazon said in an email first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

"While this decision affects a very small number of shippers, it limits the options for those small businesses on some of the highest demand shipping days in history, and may compromise their ability to meet customer demands and manage their businesses," a FedEx spokesperson told Business Insider. "FedEx Ground stands ready to support our customers and will continue to deliver record-breaking volume this holiday season."

Amazon itself cut ties with FedEx in August. The company continues to use UPS, USPS, and its own delivery network to transport items to customers.

Got a tip? Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (646) 768-4757 using a non-work phone, email at hpeterson@businessinsider.com, or Twitter DM at @hcpeterson.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.