Overview

Amazon has upgraded the Merchant Fulfillment API v0 and the label‑creation tools in Seller Central and Shipper Central to accept dangerous‑goods (DG) information. The change, effective immediately, lets sellers and third‑party logistics providers attach hazard details—such as class, UN number, and packaging type—when they request carrier labels for items like flammable cosmetics or lithium‑battery electronics. Sellers must now capture, transmit, and confirm DG data to stay compliant with transport regulations and to avoid label rejections.

Key Points

• DG fields now supported in API v0 — The Merchant Fulfillment API v0 can receive hazardous‑material attributes (hazard class, UN identification, packaging type) together with normal shipping parameters.
• Carrier labels include hazard markings — When DG data is supplied, Amazon’s label engine adds the required pictograms and handling instructions for carriers such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL.
• Compliance remains seller‑driven — Amazon only forwards the data; sellers are still responsible for confirming that each product meets federal, state, and international hazardous‑material rules before shipment.
• Applicable categories include flammable cosmetics and lithium‑battery devices — The update explicitly cites these groups, but the DG fields are available for any hazardous item in a seller’s catalog.
• Integration updates are optional but advisable — Existing integrations that omit DG data will continue to work for non‑hazardous orders, yet adding the new fields prevents carrier label rejections for hazardous shipments.
• Sandbox now mimics DG handling — The testing environment has been refreshed to simulate DG‑related label generation, allowing developers to verify their changes before moving to production.

How the Updated Merchant Fulfillment API Handles Dangerous Goods

1. Add DG payload to label request — When a seller calls the CreateShipment endpoint, they include a dangerousGoodsDetails object that specifies the hazard class (e.g., “Class 3 – Flammable Liquids”), the UN number (e.g., “UN 1263”), and the packaging type (e.g., “Type II”).