Amazon Urges Canadian Sellers to Prepare for Potential Canada Post Strike Starting May 23
Amazon warned Canadian sellers that a Canada Post strike may begin on May 23, 2025, with an unknown duration. Sellers should shift the estimated 70% of Canada Post shipments to UPS, FedEx or Purolator and increase FBA inventory buffers from 2 weeks to 4 weeks to protect health scores and sales.
Overview
Amazon has alerted sellers on its Canadian marketplace that a Canada Post labor strike could start as early as May 23, 2025. The uncertainty around the strike’s length means sellers must act now to avoid shipping delays that could hurt performance metrics and sales.
Key Points
- Potential strike date — Canada Post negotiations may break down, triggering a work stoppage on May 23, 2025.
- Uncertain duration — Amazon cannot forecast how many days the strike will last, so disruptions could extend beyond the initial date.
- Past impact — Earlier Canada Post walkouts caused delivery backlogs, spikes in customer complaints, and measurable drops in seller health scores.
- Carrier alternatives — UPS, FedEx, Purolator, and regional couriers are listed as viable substitutes for both outbound and inbound shipments.
- FBA advantage — Using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) removes reliance on Canada Post for last‑mile delivery, shielding sellers from strike‑related delays.
- Inventory risk — Sellers who do not pre‑stock Canadian fulfillment centers may face stockouts, loss of Buy Box eligibility, and slower sales velocity during the strike.
How to Prepare
- Audit carrier settings — Open Seller Central, review the shipping configuration for Canadian orders, and note any routes that currently default to Canada Post for outbound or inbound movements. For example, a seller shipping 150 units daily to Toronto may discover that 70 % of those shipments use Canada Post.
- Activate alternative carriers — Create or update accounts with UPS, FedEx, Purolator, or a local courier, then map those carriers to the Canadian shipping templates. A merchant who previously relied on Canada Post for a 2‑day delivery promise can now assign UPS Ground to achieve a comparable 3‑day timeline.
- Boost FBA inventory — Send additional stock to Amazon’s Canadian fulfillment nodes before May 23. If a seller typically holds 2 weeks of inventory, increasing the buffer to 4 weeks can cover inbound delays and keep the Buy Box secure throughout the disruption.
Analysis & Recommendations
Why This Matters
A strike starting May 23 could cause delivery backlogs, higher late‑shipment rates and loss of Buy Box eligibility. By moving to private carriers and adding a 30‑day safety stock, sellers can keep on‑time delivery within 1‑day of normal and avoid health‑score penalties.
Key Takeaways
- Strike may start May 23, 2025 and its length is uncertain.
- A typical seller ships 150 units daily to Toronto, with ~70% using Canada Post.
- Switching to UPS/FedEx adds only ~1 day to delivery versus the 4‑5 days previously with Canada Post.
- Boosting inventory from 2 weeks to 4 weeks covers inbound delays and protects Buy Box eligibility.
Recommended Actions
- →In Seller Central, go to Settings > Shipping Settings, edit all Canadian shipping templates and replace Canada Post with UPS, FedEx or Purolator.
- →Create a FBA shipment plan for Canada, calculate a 30‑day safety stock (e.g., add 1,500 units for a SKU selling 50/day) and send the extra inventor...
- →Register a UPS Canada business account, upload its API credentials under Settings > Shipping > Carrier Integration, and enable real‑time rate calcu...
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