Amazon Global Logistics product compliance

Products shipped via Amazon Global Logistics must comply with customs regulations and duty requirements. To ensure compliance, you will be asked to provide or review a variety of product information when booking transportation or later in the shipping process.

For more information, see these Help topics:

Restricted products and dangerous goods (hazmat)

Importer setup and customs compliance

Booking transportation

Using Send to Amazon to book transportation with Amazon Global Logistics

After you book: bill of lading, shipment tracking, changing a booking

A commodity description is a brief account of a product being imported and is required for each item that you ship. Customs clearance begins with commodity descriptions on a bill of lading (BOL).

Clear, accurate, and detailed commodity descriptions help reduce clearance and delivery times and ensure that your shipment complies with regulations. Vague, inaccurate, or incomplete descriptions can result in delivery delays, customs duties being incorrectly calculated, your shipment being held or rejected by customs, or all of the above. You may also be subject to financial penalties or other actions by customs authorities if your commodity descriptions are inaccurate.

Commodity descriptions must have precise information so that customs authorities can identify and verify the shape, physical characteristics, and packaging of each item. A good description answers the following questions:

• What is the item?
• What is it made from?
• What is its intended use?

Examples of good commodity descriptions

General descriptions like "electronics" are not detailed enough to meet customs regulations. Descriptions like "CD players" or "computer monitors" are acceptable. Make sure that your descriptions are in English.

Good description	Poor description
organic caffeinated coffee	general merchandise
men's wool socks	samples
women's leather shoes	promotional materials
computer keyboards and computer mouse	parts
cell phone screen savers	see commercial invoice
men’s 100% wool pants	pants
women’s cotton jogger pants
laptop computers	electronics
cell phone charger and adapter
CD players

The manufacturer is the party that made or assembled your products. Manufacturer information is required for all textile and apparel imports. If your products are not textile or apparel products and you don’t know the manufacturer, list one of the following as the supplier:

• Yourself
• The vendor you bought the products from
• The exporter

The product origin is the country where a product was originally manufactured. It is not necessarily the country from which you are shipping the item. To help determine the country of origin for your product, see the US Customs and Border Protection’s rules of origin.

Most countries classify globally traded goods using tariff classification codes. These codes determine the customs value of products and flag requirements such as anti-dumping or countervailing duties (ADDs and CVDs)for partner government agencies (PGAs).

Accurate Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes help reduce clearance and shipping times, and ensure that your shipment complies with regulations. Inaccurate codes can result in shipment delays, customs duties being incorrectly calculated, your shipment being held or rejected by customs, or all of the above. You may also be subject to financial penalties or other actions by customs authorities if your HTS codes are inaccurate.

You can find appropriate tariff codes for your goods by using the US International Trade Commission’s HTS search. Enter a keyword such as “food,” “shoes,” or “plants,” then choose the appropriate code.

For more information, visit Amazon Global Logistics importer setup and customs compliance.

You may be asked to provide information related to the following:

• Anti-dumping duties
• Countervailing duties
• Toxic Substance Control Act
• Radiation-emitting devices
• Lacey Act

Anti-dumping duties (ADDs)

Certain products in your shipments may be subject to anti-dumping duties. If so, you will be asked to apply them.

ADDs are imposed when the US International Trade Commission and the US Department of Commerce determine that a manufacturer in another country is importing goods into the US at a price that is lower than their fair-market value. Though ADDs are applied to counter these lower prices and protect US manufacturers, they do not prohibit the importation of goods.

For more information, see the US Customs and Border Protection website, along with CBP definitions and terminology. Use the CBP's search tool to help determine if any of your items require an ADD:

1. Enter a short description of your product (1 to 2 words) and click Search.
2. Review each case for specific product information, including function and country of origin.
3. If your product falls under the scope of a case, note the case number. You will enter it during shipment creation.

Countervailing duties (CVDs)

Certain items in your shipments may be subject to countervailing duties. If so, you will be asked to apply them.

CVDs are charged when the US International Trade Commission and the US Department of Commerce determine that a government in an exporting country is providing subsidies and tax benefits to their manufacturers that allow them to sell their products less expensively than US manufacturers. Though CVDs are applied to counter these discounts and protect US manufacturers, they do not prohibit the importation of goods.

For detailed information, see the US Customs and Border Protection website, along with CBP definitions and terminology. Use the CBP's search to help determine if any of your items require a CVD:

1. Enter a short description of your product (1 to 2 words) and click Search.
2. Review each case for specific product information, including function and country of origin.
3. If your product falls under the scope of a case, note the case number. You will enter it during shipment creation.

Toxic Substance Control Act

You may be asked to certify that all chemical substances in your shipment either comply with or are not subject to the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). Visit the US Environmental Protection Agency website to determine how TSCA might apply to your items. To ensure that you can ship your items with chemical substances via Amazon Global Logistics, visit our restricted products and dangerous goods Help page.

Radiation-emitting devices (RAD)

You may be asked to provide information about any radiation-emitting devices in your shipment. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines a RAD as “any electrically powered product that can emit any form of radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum.” For more information, see Radiation-Emitting Electronic Products.

Lacey Act

If you’re importing wood or plant products into the US, the Lacey Act may require you to declare the genus and species of those products. For more information, visit the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) website and US National Plant Germplasm System.

Importer Security Filing (ISF)

The Importer Security Filing, commonly known as “10+2,” is a US Customs regulation that requires importers and vessel-operating carriers to provide advance shipment information to US Customs for US-bound ocean cargo.

As the importer, you are responsible for providing the authorized representative (typically the customs broker) with a minimum set of data. If your ocean shipment requires an ISF, you will be asked to review and confirm ISF contact details for your booking. For information, visit Booking transportation with Amazon Global Logistics and the US Customs and Border Protection website.