Overview

Amazon sellers who have built a profitable operation on their home marketplace are increasingly looking to tap the revenue potential of Amazon’s 16 international sites. Launching a product on a foreign marketplace triggers a distinct set of compliance obligations that vary by region, product category, and local legislation. Meeting those obligations is critical to avoid listing suspensions, account‑health penalties, and costly customs delays that can erode profit margins.

Key Points

• Regulatory certification — In most European marketplaces a CE or UKCA mark is mandatory for electronic devices, and sellers must attach a valid test certificate to the product detail page, otherwise the listing is blocked.
• Language‑specific labeling — All mandatory safety warnings, ingredient lists, and product specifications must appear in the official language of the target marketplace; for example, a dietary supplement sold on Amazon.de must display its label entirely in German.
• Tax registration requirement — Sellers must obtain a VAT number for EU countries or a GST registration for Australia before the first sale and enter the tax identification number during Amazon’s tax interview, or the account will be held from processing orders.
• Marketplace‑restricted items — Each Amazon marketplace maintains its own prohibited‑item list; a toy that passes U.S. safety standards can be rejected in Japan if it contains small magnetic components that violate local toy regulations.
• Customs HS code accuracy — The Harmonized System (HS) code entered for each SKU must match the product description and the destination country’s tariff schedule, because misclassification can trigger customs holds and unexpected duties.
• Global policy enforcement — Amazon’s universal policies such as “Product Authenticity” and “Condition Guidelines” apply everywhere, but regional compliance teams often interpret and enforce them more stringently, leading to quicker deactivations for non‑conforming listings.

How Compliance Checks Work

1. Pre‑listing verification — When a seller creates a new ASIN for a foreign marketplace, Amazon’s automated engine scans the attribute data; if a required language field or safety certificate is missing, the system places the draft in “Pending Review,” as happened when a French‑language bullet point was omitted for a kitchen gadget targeting Amazon.fr.