Fellow Amazon US sellers, today we’re focusing on an urgent compliance notice: Amazon US officially issued a statement on September 23rd, requiring all products to have Country of Origin (COO) information added. This is no minor update – failure to comply by the deadline will directly result in product removals, restricted selling privileges, or even account suspension. With only two months left until the Q4 peak season, this is something you must prioritize immediately.
Core of the Policy
The most critical change in this new rule is that the “COO information requirement,” previously only applicable to the EU and UK marketplaces, has now been fully expanded to the US marketplace. Additionally, the criteria for determining COO are clear: it must be based on “the country/region where the product undergoes its final substantial transformation.” For example, products manufactured in China must be marked with “China” – no ambiguity is allowed.
How to Implement This
The process depends on your number of SKUs:
- If you have a small number of SKUs: Directly check your Inventory Report in the backend to identify missing COO information, then update it manually.
- If you have a large number of SKUs: Download the official template for bulk upload. A critical point to note: Product variations must be handled separately, and operations for different marketplaces must be done individually – do not bundle them together, as this will likely lead to errors.
Why Is the US Marketplace Making This Mandatory Now?
The reason is straightforward. On one hand, global e-commerce compliance standards are rising, and COO is a core piece of information for both customs supervision and consumers’ right to know. On the other hand, Q4 is Amazon’s annual sales peak – by clarifying rules in advance, the platform aims to avoid disputes caused by incomplete information during the busy season, such as buyer complaints or customs inspections.
Risks for Sellers
For us sellers, this is both a “mandatory task” and a source of potential risks:
- Time cost: Sellers with many SKUs may spend significant time verifying and uploading information. Waiting until the deadline to act could lead to delays due to system congestion or glitches.
- Consequences of non-compliance: If products are removed before the peak season, you’ll miss the traffic window for Black Friday and Cyber Monday – a major blow to this year’s performance. Worse still, account suspension would be devastating for your business.
3 Practical Recommendations to Implement Immediately
- Prioritize checking the Inventory Report: Go to the Amazon backend now to pull up your Inventory Report. First, list out which products lack COO information – having a clear overview will help you plan effectively.
- Handle efficiently in batches: For a small number of SKUs, hurry to update them manually. For a large number, download the template right away. Focus on the differences between product variations and across marketplaces to avoid omissions or mistakes.
- Address both compliance and traffic: After updating the information, the platform will remove the notification banner within 10 business days. During this period, you can simultaneously build traffic in advance through off-platform channels like VIPON. Once compliance is confirmed, you’ll be perfectly positioned to ramp up for the peak season.
A final reminder: This is a mandatory requirement with no room for negotiation. Don’t wait or delay – take action now. Don’t let a “simple information update” jeopardize your major peak season business. Moving forward, keep a close eye on notifications in the Amazon backend, and we wish you all success in meeting compliance requirements!
