How to Sell Hazmat Products on Amazon: Dangerous Goods Guide

Quick answer: Hazmat (hazardous materials) products are items that contain flammable, pressurized, corrosive, toxic or otherwise dangerous substances, or lithium batteries, such as aerosols, nail polish, paints, cleaners and many electronics. Amazon calls them dangerous goods. You can sell many of them, but each ASIN goes through Amazon’s dangerous goods (hazmat) review, which needs a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) or exemption sheet. To store them in FBA you also need to be accepted into the FBA Dangerous Goods program.

This guide explains which products count as hazmat on Amazon, how the hazmat review works, the documents you need, FBA storage limits and your responsibilities as a seller, so you can avoid blocked listings and stranded inventory.

Which Products Count as Hazmat on Amazon?

“Hazmat” is short for hazardous materials, which Amazon calls dangerous goods. These products can be risky to store, handle or transport because they contain flammable, pressurized, corrosive, toxic or otherwise harmful substances, or lithium batteries. Common examples include:

• Aerosols such as spray paint, hair spray and dry shampoo
• Engine, tire and car care products, oils and fluids
• Paints, nail polish, perfumes and some cosmetics
• Household cleaners, bleach and pool chemicals
• Products with lithium batteries, such as power banks, laptops, phones and many gadgets
• Lighters, matches and camping fuel

Dangerous goods are grouped into the nine classes used in international transport rules. Amazon accepts some of them in FBA (with dangerous goods approval) and prohibits others:

Some items are banned from Amazon entirely, whatever their class. Check Amazon restricted products before you buy inventory.

Know More About: Amazon Restricted Categories & Brands

How to Find Out if a Product is Hazmat or Not?

It is not that hard to identify one specific product as hazardous. Most purchased goods, such as sprays or batteries, include a warning on their packaging. The manufacturers must supply a Safety Data Sheet or SDS, including the risk level.

On the Amazon side, go to Inventory › Manage Dangerous Goods Classification in Seller Central and use the Look up an ASIN tool to see whether a product is classified as dangerous goods and whether it can be sold through FBA. Sourcing tools and Chrome extensions such as SellerAmp and Keepa also flag likely hazmat ASINs, which helps when you check online arbitrage leads, but Seller Central has the final say.

If a product might be dangerous and you don’t have the data yet, ask the manufacturer or supplier for the SDS. Upload it, or Amazon’s exemption sheet if the product has no hazardous chemicals or only contains batteries, in Manage Dangerous Goods Classification, and Amazon will review and classify the ASIN.

What Happens When a Product is Marked as Hazmat?

Let’s say you found out about your chosen product, sent the SDS, and got the classification from Amazon. Since your product is now officially dangerous, it follows Amazon Hazmat Policy, which means you need to provide the platform with further information regarding the product.

After all, Amazon needs to make sure it won’t hurt anyone. For instance, if you have decided to sell batteries, you will need to inform the platform of the number of batteries and their composition, whether or not its flammable or corrosive, and the packaging.

Amazon will review this information, check the product’s details, and determine if it is safe. If this is the case, you may continue selling it. The buyers should now read the description carefully before buying the batteries.

How to Sell Hazmat Products Safely on Amazon?

Selling Hazmat Products on Amazon is not impossible, but it needs approval. After sending the documentation and SDS to Amazon, it will be approved for sale, and you can start listing the product. Amazon’s rules for Hazmat products may limit you, but they ensure they are handled safely while handling, packaging and storing.

Amazon’s dangerous goods team reviews each product using its listing details (title, description, bullet points and images) and the SDS or exemption sheet you upload. In the listing workflow, you also add dangerous goods information such as the GHS pictogram, UN number and, for batteries, the battery details.

When the documents are complete and correct, a review usually takes a few business days. Once an ASIN is classified, you can sell it, and if it’s FBA-eligible and you’re in the FBA Dangerous Goods program, you can send it to FBA. Products already in a fulfillment center can also be flagged as potential dangerous goods later. In that case, Amazon generally gives you 14 business days to provide the required documents before the inventory is blocked. Incomplete or mismatched documents are the most common reason listings stay blocked.

Read More: Why My Amazon Seller Account Suspended & How to Fix It?

Everything You Need to Know About Amazon Hazmat Review

As we said before, Amazon needs to review some documents and information before allowing you to sell a potentially dangerous good. The dangerous goods team helps the platform ensure that all sold items meet safety standards and won’t harm anyone or anything. Here are some points to know about Hazmat reviews on Amazon:

• Getting catalog information on each product is a must. So, make sure you get it from the website, shop, etc.
• Make sure you have good, high-quality images of the product.
• You might be required to send in an SDS. Think about this beforehand.
• After uploading all the documentation, you can use the “lookup an ASIN” tool in seller central and check the status of your request. Amazon will inform you by email if the ASIN is classified.
• You can upload new SDS exemptions to support your disagreement with the result.

FBA Dangerous Goods Program

To sell dangerous goods through Fulfillment by Amazon, your account needs to be accepted into the FBA Dangerous Goods program. Amazon may place new applicants on a waitlist and doesn’t publish the acceptance criteria, so apply well before you plan to send hazmat inventory. To apply:

1. Go to Manage Dangerous Goods Classification in seller central.
2. Select FBA Dangerous Goods program.
3. Click Next.
4. Click Apply to the FBA Dangerous Goods program.

Once you’re in the program, you can send eligible dangerous goods to FBA, as long as each ASIN is classified and you follow the program’s packaging, labeling and quantity rules. Amazon’s partnered carrier program now covers FBA-eligible dangerous goods too, which makes inbound shipping easier. Lithium battery products need complete battery data (type, watt-hours and configuration) on the listing, or inbound shipments can be blocked. If you sell FBM, you’re responsible for shipping hazmat orders in line with carrier and DOT rules. Learn more about how to ship to Amazon FBA.

FBA Storage of Hazmat Products

Dangerous goods can’t always be stored alongside regular inventory. Amazon keeps them in fulfillment centers and areas set up to handle hazardous materials, which is why they have their own storage rules and fees.

FBA tracks hazmat storage separately for flammable and aerosol items, and each has its own storage limit. Monthly storage fees for dangerous goods are higher than for standard-size non-hazmat items and rise from October to December, so check the current rates in Seller Central and our Amazon FBA fees guide before you stock up.

You can check your hazmat storage use in the Storage Volume Monitor and request a higher limit through Manage Dangerous Goods Classification. Keep hazmat inventory lean, because slow-moving dangerous goods tie up limited space.

Read More: Amazon FBA Inventory Storage Limits

Hazmat Products Seller’s Responsibilities

Selling Hazardous Materials on Amazon has many responsibilities for you as the seller. Any hazardous material supplied to Amazon should follow all the legislation and requirements, both the Amazon Hazmat Policy and other administrative rules. These regulations might differ in every country. Here are some of them in the USA:

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
• Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) 
• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) 
• Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals

As a seller, you must also give complete, accurate product information, including the warnings and safety information required on labels and in the listing, and keep your SDS current (Amazon expects an SDS issued within the last five years that matches the product and brand).

How to Submit an SDS or Exemption Sheet?

Sometimes Amazon classifies one of your products as dangerous, a product you don’t believe to be harming anyone. If the product has no hazardous chemicals, or its only hazard is a battery, you can submit an exemption sheet using Amazon’s official template (the battery exemption sheet or the exemption sheet for products without harmful chemicals). Otherwise, upload a correct SDS or dispute the classification in Manage Dangerous Goods Classification. Amazon only accepts its own exemption templates, and the details must match the listing. The hard part for resellers is that you often can’t get the exact composition from the manufacturer. Lab testing is possible but costs time and money, so for online arbitrage it’s often better to skip hazmat ASINs that aren’t already classified as FBA-eligible.

Final Thoughts

Hazmat review can feel like a roadblock, but it exists because dangerous goods can leak, catch fire or burst during shipping and storage. Many hazmat products sell well and face less competition precisely because some sellers avoid them. Check every ASIN in Manage Dangerous Goods Classification before you buy, keep your SDS and exemption sheets in order, apply to the FBA Dangerous Goods program early, and keep hazmat inventory lean.

FAQs

What is a hazmat product on Amazon?

Any product Amazon classifies as dangerous goods because it contains flammable, pressurized, corrosive, toxic or oxidizing substances, or lithium batteries. Aerosols, nail polish, cleaners, perfumes and many electronics are common examples.

How do I know if my product is hazmat on Amazon?

Use the Look up an ASIN tool in Inventory › Manage Dangerous Goods Classification in Seller Central. You can also check the product’s SDS and warning labels, but Amazon’s classification is what counts.

Can I sell hazmat products with FBM?

Often, yes, if the product isn’t prohibited and has been classified. You must ship it yourself in line with carrier and DOT hazardous materials rules, which some sellers find easier than waiting for FBA Dangerous Goods approval.