An Amazon hazmat review happens when Amazon’s Dangerous Goods team decides an ASIN may be a dangerous good because of its ingredients, its batteries or what the catalog says about it. While the review runs, the product can be blocked from Fulfillment by Amazon, new shipments can be refused, and inventory already in a fulfillment center can be stranded or reclassified. Amazon classifies products from documents, so the outcome depends on what you upload, either a complete, current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) that matches the listing, or an exemption sheet where the product qualifies. Both are uploaded under Manage dangerous goods classification in Seller Central, and Amazon states that complete submissions are reviewed within two business days. Below we explain how Amazon decides an item is hazmat, which documents pass review, what to do with stranded stock, and the screen we run before any new product ships to FBA.

What Amazon Means by Dangerous Goods in a Hazmat Review

Amazon defines dangerous goods, also called hazardous materials or hazmat, as substances or materials that might pose a risk to health, safety, property or the environment while being stored, handled or transported. The risk comes from the flammable, pressurized, corrosive or otherwise harmful substances they contain. Amazon gathers dangerous goods information for every product sold in its stores, so a review is a normal part of selling through FBA. It is not a penalty in itself.

The category is wider than most sellers expect. Amazon’s Dangerous goods identification guide notes that everyday consumer products such as laptops, smartphones, household cleaners, spray paints and cosmetics might be regulated as dangerous goods. A product does not need a warning label to be in scope. Amazon states that some regulated products, such as cosmetics and speakers containing magnetized material, carry no warning label, and that the absence of a label does not mean the product is not a dangerous good.

Why there is no list to check

The most useful sentence in Amazon’s guide is that the physical and chemical properties of a unique, finished product define whether it is a dangerous good. Amazon has no predefined classification by product type. It asks for dangerous goods information even for products that turn out not to be regulated. Two serums that look identical on a shelf can classify differently because one has a higher alcohol content. A speaker and its replacement model can classify differently because the battery changed. The review is about the specific formulation and packaging you ship.

Most failed reviews start with the SDS. In our experience, the reviewer is reading the SDS line by line, and the first question is whether that document describes the exact formulation and packaging on the listing. A generic or outdated SDS is the most common reason a review fails.

The regulations behind Amazon’s process

Amazon’s guide lists the rules it applies in the United States. Ground transport falls under the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and air transport under the Federal Aviation Administration. The guide also applies the Hazardous Materials Regulations in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). For international movement it also lists ICAO, the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, the IMDG Code, and the ADN, ADR and RID agreements for inland waterway, road and rail. Amazon states that dangerous goods you send must comply with all applicable regulations so they are transported, stored, handled and labeled safely.

What Amazon requires to sell dangerous goods through FBA

• Stay informed about current legislation and regulations.
• Provide complete and correct information about your products.
• Upload a complete, correct and up-to-date SDS or exemption sheet.

Amazon’s guide adds that by sending inventory you confirm the products comply with all legal requirements and that your information is complete, correct and current. Incorrect or incomplete information can prevent the product from being sold and can lead to loss of selling privileges. Products identified as unfulfillable dangerous goods when they arrive at a fulfillment center may be disposed of at your expense.

Why an ASIN Gets Classified as Hazmat

Amazon’s Dangerous goods review process page explains that catalog information is the main way Amazon identifies a possible dangerous good. That includes the description, bullet points and images. If catalog information changes later, another review may be required, and the product may be reclassified or you may be asked for an SDS or exemption sheet.

The triggers Amazon names

• Battery information missing. The product needs a battery to work, but detailed battery information was not provided when the ASIN was created. Products without detailed power source information can be flagged.
• Batteries mentioned on the page or in reviews. If the detail page or buyer reviews mention batteries, Amazon asks for a battery exemption sheet.
• Hazardous items included. If the product contains or is sold with possibly hazardous items, such as a screen cleaner or an aerosol, Amazon asks for an SDS from the manufacturer or supplier.

The battery trigger surprises sellers most. A customer review that says “the battery lasts all day” can be enough to send a product for review. Enter complete dangerous goods information at listing creation.

The information Amazon asks for at listing creation

Amazon’s Dangerous goods required information page states that when you create or convert a listing for FBA, you must add dangerous goods information for batteries and for products regulated as dangerous goods. The battery questions cover whether batteries are required and included, whether the battery is a button or coin cell, the cell composition, whether the item contains a battery or a cell, and the number and type of batteries including spares. For regulated products, Amazon asks for some or all of the UN number, the product weight in kilograms, the volume in milliliters for a liquid or gas, the GHS pictograms on the packaging or SDS, an SDS link and the flash point in Celsius. If required information is missing, the listing cannot be created or converted to FBA.

How classes decide what FBA accepts

Dangerous goods fall into nine classes. Amazon’s guide sets out three groups.

Amazon also states that dangerous goods weighing 50 pounds or more per package are prohibited from FBA. Lithium batteries must meet the conditions of IATA packing instructions 965 to 970. Sellers enrolled in the FBA Dangerous Goods program can send additional dangerous goods under the program terms, and Amazon states that if inventory already in a fulfillment center is reclassified as a dangerous good, the seller is added to the program’s waitlist automatically.

The business models that trigger reviews

Cosmetics and personal care brands. Aerosols, alcohol-based formulas, nail products and fragrances contain flammable ingredients. Run it compliantly by obtaining a product-specific SDS from the formulator for every SKU, matching the product name and brand on the SDS to the listing, and updating the SDS whenever the formula changes.

Electronics and accessory sellers. Lithium batteries in power banks, headphones, cameras and chargers bring Class 9 rules into play. Run it compliantly by completing every battery field at listing creation, keeping the battery’s watt-hour and voltage data from the manufacturer, and preparing the battery exemption sheet before the first shipment.

Cleaning and household product sellers. Cleaners, degreasers and disinfectants often contain corrosive or flammable chemicals. Run it compliantly by treating every chemical product as a dangerous goods candidate until an SDS shows otherwise, and by providing an SDS for each chemical product inside any kit.

For a closely related case, read Amazon Ungating Application Denied.

When the stakes are high, have our product safety and quality team review your Amazon case before you respond.

Safety Data Sheets and Exemption Sheets

Amazon describes an SDS as a document of 16 sections prepared by the manufacturer or importer. It describes a product’s physical and chemical properties, physical and health hazards, routes of exposure, precautions for safe handling and use, emergency and first-aid procedures, and control measures. Amazon uses it to classify the product correctly, to decide handling and disposal measures if the product spills or leaks in a fulfillment center, and to confirm non-regulated goods.

What a compliant SDS must show

Amazon lists the requirements directly. To be compliant, an SDS must.

• Be created or updated within the past five years.
• Include current GHS or CLP hazard identification information.
• Match your product listing, meaning the product name on the SDS is the same as the listing title and the manufacturer or brand name on the SDS is the same as on the detail page.
• Include all 16 standard SDS sections.

If your listing is a bundle or kit with more than one chemical-based product, Amazon requires an SDS for each product in it.

When an exemption sheet applies

An exemption sheet is accepted for two categories only, battery and battery-powered products, and products without harmful chemicals. Amazon states that an exemption sheet submitted for a product outside those two categories will be rejected. If your product contains no harmful chemicals, such as alcohol, acid or sodium, and you cannot obtain an SDS, Amazon directs you to the exemption sheet for products without harmful chemicals.

The process is specific. Go to Manage dangerous goods classification, choose the language, and download either the exemption sheet for battery and battery-powered products or the one for products without harmful chemicals. Fill in every cell highlighted in red, including cells that turn red after your answers. Each template has an instructions tab. Save it and upload it as an Excel file. Amazon warns that uploading an exemption sheet in another format can cause upload errors and rejection. For battery products, the data you need, such as watt-hours and voltage, is on the packaging, the manual or the battery itself.

Getting the right SDS from your supplier

Sellers who do not manufacture their own products depend on a supplier for the SDS, and that is where delays start. Ask for the document before you place the first order, and make it part of the purchase terms. Specify what you need in writing, an SDS for the exact finished product you are buying, issued or revised within the past five years, with all 16 sections, current GHS hazard classification, and the product name and brand exactly as they will appear on your listing. If you sell under your own brand, the brand on the SDS should be yours, so agree with the manufacturer that the sheet will be issued in your brand name.

Check the document when it arrives. Compare the composition section to the ingredient list on your packaging, the transport section to the class and UN number you plan to enter, and the revision date to the five year limit. If the supplier changes the formula, the fragrance, the propellant or the battery cell, ask for a revised SDS before the new stock ships. A supplier who cannot produce a product-specific SDS for a chemical product is a supplier whose goods will be difficult to sell through FBA at all.

Review timing

Amazon states that products with complete and correct information are reviewed and classified within two business days, Monday through Friday excluding public holidays. Rejected documents and requests for more information add another two business days on resubmission, and every later submission adds two more. A submission on a weekend starts the clock on Monday. Use the Look up an ASIN tool to check classification status.

Handling Stranded Inventory Meanwhile

The review is fast when the documents are right. The costly part is inventory caught in the middle. Two of Amazon’s rules set the timeline.

First, if a product is identified as a possible dangerous good while inventory is already in a fulfillment center, Amazon notifies you by email and gives you 14 business days to provide the requested documentation. If you do not provide it in that period, Amazon states the inventory will be disposed of at your expense. Second, Amazon’s guide warns that units sent without confirmation of the classification might have to be disposed of without reimbursement, and its FBA prohibited products page states that dangerous goods shipped to fulfillment centers may be disposed of without reimbursement even if Amazon had not previously identified them as dangerous goods.

What we do in the first days

1. Stop new shipments of the affected ASIN until the classification is confirmed.
2. Put the 14 business day deadline in writing with the date of Amazon’s email, and work back from it.
3. Request the correct SDS from the manufacturer on day one. Ask for the version that matches your exact formulation, product name and brand, issued within five years.
4. Check the listing against the SDS and correct any title, brand or attribute that does not match before you upload.
5. Upload under Manage dangerous goods classification and track the two business day review.
6. Plan for the outcome. If the product is confirmed as a dangerous good you cannot sell through FBA, decide whether to remove the units or apply to the FBA Dangerous Goods program if the product qualifies.

Options for the units themselves

If the classification stands and the product is not eligible for FBA, you have two practical options. Remove the inventory from the fulfillment center and sell the product through your own fulfillment where the product itself is allowed for sale. Or join the FBA Dangerous Goods program if the product can ship in limited quantities. Storage fees continue while units sit unsellable, so make the decision early. If the stock count Amazon reports does not match what you sent, our Amazon inventory reconciliation service can trace the units.

First review compared with repeat reviews

Amazon does not publish penalty tiers for hazmat reviews. The outcome turns on the documentation. A first review with a correct SDS closes in days. Repeat reviews of the same ASIN usually mean something in the catalog keeps contradicting the documents, such as a bullet that mentions a battery, a reformulation the SDS does not reflect, or an attribute that conflicts with the SDS. Amazon’s guide warns that incorrect or incomplete information can lead to corrective actions and loss of selling privileges, so a loop of rejected documents is worth breaking with a full review of the listing and the SDS together. If a review has already been denied, our guide on an Amazon hazmat classification dispute denied covers resubmission.

Regional differences

The dangerous goods process runs on the US storefront and on Amazon’s European storefronts. Amazon notes that EU and other local laws may apply depending on your location, and the international transport agreements it lists, such as ADR for road transport, govern movement in Europe. The legal framework around Amazon’s decision also differs. This section is general information. It is not legal advice.

• United States. The Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement and general contract law govern the relationship. Amazon’s own written dangerous goods process is the standard your submission must meet.
• European Union. When Amazon restricts a listing, the Digital Services Act, Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, provides a statement of reasons (Article 17), access to internal complaint handling for at least six months (Article 20) and certified out-of-court dispute settlement (Article 21). The Platform-to-Business Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2019/1150, Article 4(1), requires a statement of reasons on a durable medium when individual goods are restricted.
• United Kingdom. The Digital Services Act does not apply to UK sellers. The retained Platform-to-Business Regulation 2019/1150, Article 4, as it applies in the UK, requires a statement of reasons for a restriction of individual goods and the chance to clarify the facts through internal complaint handling.

For a closely related case, read How to Release Amazon FBA Inventory Flagged as Unsuitable.

What Never to Submit as an SDS

Most rejected submissions we review fail for one of a handful of reasons. Each one is avoidable.

• A generic SDS for a similar product. The SDS must describe your finished product. A supplier’s sheet for a base formula or a different scent fails the match test.
• An SDS older than five years. Amazon requires creation or update within the past five years.
• A name or brand mismatch. Fix the listing or obtain a corrected SDS before upload.
• Missing sections. All 16 sections must be present, with current GHS or CLP hazard information.
• An edited document. Changing an SDS yourself to fit the listing removes its value as a manufacturer’s document and creates a far bigger problem than a hazmat review. Ask the manufacturer for a revision.
• An exemption sheet for a chemical product. Anything else is rejected.
• An exemption sheet in the wrong format. Amazon requires the downloaded Excel template, fully completed.
• One SDS for a multi-chemical kit. Each chemical product in a kit needs its own SDS.

How we frame a classification challenge

If you believe the classification is wrong, Amazon’s review process page gives two routes, upload a new SDS or exemption sheet that supports your position, or select Dispute classification on Manage dangerous goods classification. Our method keeps the case narrow. The position is that the correct classification is supported by the product and its documentation. The root cause names the mismatch, such as a missing battery field, a bullet implying an aerosol, or an SDS for an older formula. The corrective action is the corrected listing data and the matching document. The preventive control is a classification check against product documentation before listing. The evidence is the ASINs, the proposed classification and the SDS or exemption sheet. Nothing else belongs in the submission.

Pre-Shipment Hazmat Screen

The prevention lesson is to upload a current SDS or exemption sheet for any product with batteries or regulated ingredients before the first FBA shipment. Amazon recommends providing dangerous goods information when you create the offer even if the product is not regulated, because it reduces delays. We run this screen on every new SKU.

Step 1. Identify candidates

• Does the product contain or include a battery of any type, including button cells and spares?
• Does it contain liquids, gels, aerosols, powders or chemicals?
• Does the packaging carry any warning label, pictogram or warning phrase?
• Is it a kit that includes a cleaner, spray or other chemical component?

A yes to any question makes the SKU a candidate. If you are unsure, Amazon’s guide tells you to ask the manufacturer or supplier, who is required to provide an SDS for regulated products.

Step 2. Collect documents

• A product-specific SDS issued within five years, with the product name and brand matching your planned listing.
• Battery data from the manufacturer, including chemistry, watt-hours, voltage and count.
• The correct exemption sheet where the product qualifies, completed in the Excel template.

Step 3. Align the listing

• Enter every battery and dangerous goods field at listing creation.
• Match the title and brand to the SDS.
• Remove any bullet or image that implies an ingredient or battery the product does not have.

Step 4. Confirm before shipping

• Upload the documents under Manage dangerous goods classification.
• Wait for the classification and check it with the Look up an ASIN tool.
• Create the shipment only after the classification is confirmed.

Step 5. Re-screen on every change

Any reformulation, new battery supplier, new packaging or new bullet that mentions ingredients or power can trigger a new review. Treat each as a new SKU for screening. For the wider set of documents a category may need, see our guide to Amazon product compliance documents. EU sellers should also read EU GPSR listings blocked, and sellers in gated categories should see category and brand ungating. If a listing was removed as a restricted product, our guide on restricted product listings removed covers that path.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Amazon product classified as hazmat?

Amazon classifies an ASIN as a dangerous good when its ingredients, batteries or catalog information indicate a transport or storage risk. Amazon states that the physical and chemical properties of the finished product decide the classification, and that battery mentions on the detail page or in reviews can trigger a review.

What documents does Amazon need for a hazmat review?

Amazon needs a Safety Data Sheet or an exemption sheet. The SDS must have all 16 sections, be created or updated within five years, include GHS or CLP hazard information and match the listing title and brand. Exemption sheets apply only to battery products and products without harmful chemicals.

Where do I upload an SDS?

You upload it under Manage dangerous goods classification in Seller Central by selecting Upload document. Exemption sheet templates are downloaded from the same page and must be uploaded as Excel files.

What happens to FBA inventory during review?

FBA shipments of the ASIN can be blocked and inventory already in a fulfillment center can be stranded. If Amazon identifies a possible dangerous good in stock, you have 14 business days from its email to provide documentation, or the inventory will be disposed of at your expense.

Can a hazmat classification be reversed?

Yes, if your documents show the product is not a dangerous good or qualifies for an exemption. Upload a new SDS or exemption sheet that supports your position, or select Dispute classification on Manage dangerous goods classification.

Get Help With an Amazon Hazmat Classification

When stranded inventory is costing storage fees and reviews keep coming back hazmat, getting the documents right the first time saves weeks. We review the listing and the SDS together, find the mismatch and prepare the submission. Start with our Amazon suspension and account health service, see our listing recovery service, submit your case, or book a consultation.

Our product safety and quality team can take the case from here. You can also see all our marketplace suspension services.

Sources

1. Amazon Seller Central: Dangerous goods identification guide (hazmat)
2. Amazon Seller Central: Dangerous goods (hazmat) required information and documentation
3. Amazon Seller Central: Dangerous goods review process (hazmat)
4. Amazon Seller Central: FBA prohibited products
5. Amazon Seller Central: Requirements for lithium batteries and products powered by lithium batteries
6. 49 CFR Subchapter C, Hazardous Materials Regulations (eCFR)
7. Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, Digital Services Act (EUR-Lex)
8. Regulation (EU) 2019/1150, Platform-to-Business Regulation (EUR-Lex)
9. Regulation (EU) 2019/1150, Article 4, as it applies in the UK (legislation.gov.uk)