Officials at Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency have started hearings to review the practice of free delivery on online shopping sites.

The first hearing was held on Friday, inviting a senior official of the Japan Trucking Association.

Hearings are held in an effort to tackle the so-called 2024 problem. From April 2024, stricter regulations will be introduced on overtime working hours for truck drivers. This has caused concern in the logistics industry that the ongoing labor shortage will be aggravated, leading to a drop in its consignment capacity.

Meanwhile, many online shopping sites offer free delivery.

Logistics companies are calling for a review of the practice which, they say, causes a misunderstanding among consumers that delivery comes at no cost. They also say the practice has made it difficult for logistics companies to negotiate with consigners on charging appropriate fees.

At Friday's hearing, Mawatari Masatoshi from the trucking association said he wants online shopping site operators to stop displaying "free delivery." He said logistics cannot be maintained if the practice continues. A question and answer session was held behind closed doors.

Agency officials say they will also hear from consigners that offer "free delivery" on their websites. The officials plan to examine how delivery fees are reflected in product prices and what impact the review of the practice could have.