Latest Amazon Sales Restrictions for 2023 

Most recently, Amazon announced that it will be implementing a new Amazon sale restriction that will affect appliance sales to California come 2023 through its Amazon Services Seller Forums

The announcement, released November 15 2022, detailed that Amazon will start to restrict the sale of appliances under specific categories if the appliances do not meet the minimum appliance energy efficiency standards and are not registered in the Modernized Appliance Efficiency Database System (MAEDbS).

On February 6, 2023, Amazon will implement the sale restriction for listings in the following categories that are not registered in the MAEDbS:

• Lightbulbs
• Spa Products
• Computers and Monitors
• Pool Products & Portable Spa Products ..
• Portable Air Conditioners

This Amazon sale restriction was based on the new California Energy Commission registration requirements. 

In California, certain products are expected to meet minimum efficiency requirements determined by the California Energy Commission (CEC). Amazon sellers must ensure that the products they sell meet CEC minimum efficiency requirements and are registered in the MAEDbS. 

Here are some of the examples of listings permitted for sale in California, provided they meet CEC minimum efficiency standards and are registered in the CEC database (MAEDbS).

• Computers
• Electronics
• General Pumps
• Pool Products
• Motor Products
• Heating Products
• Plumbing Products
• Central Heat Pumps
• Lighting Products
• Transformer Products
• Water Heater Products
• Refrigeration Products
• Central Air Conditioners
• Cooking and Washing Products
• Fans and Dehumidifiers
• Landscape Irrigation Equipment
• Non-Central AC and HP Products

A Brief Background: California Energy Commission (CEC) Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards

California appliance regulations were developed in 1977. Such regulations combined with federal standards intend to set minimum efficiency levels for energy consumption in consumer goods.

The Appliance Energy Standards promote the use of energy and water-efficient appliances, including but not limited to consumer electronics, household appliances, and plumbing equipment. In line with such advocacy, Amazon sellers are encouraged to register affected listings or inventory items in the Modernized Appliance Efficiency Database System(MAEDbS).

To give you an overview of the process involved in keeping your products California Energy Commission compliant, here are the two main steps needed to reach compliance:

STEP 1: You must properly register your product under CEC’s Modernized Appliance Efficiency Database System.

STEP 2: Once the product is registered in the CEC’s database, the seller must update the following on Amazon a.) model number; b.) manufacturing company name; c.) brand of the product on the Amazon detail page. 

Other Recent Amazon Sales Restrictions You Should Know About 

Product restrictions and compliance updates are not new to Amazon. Amazon has introduced many policy updates to fit safety and federal standards over the past years. Here are some of the recent policy and compliance updates introduced by Amazon. 

Amazon Sales Restrictions – Meltable Products

Amazon implemented a “seasonal restriction” for meltable products. From April 15 to October 15, 2022, Amazon stopped fulfilling and accepting meltable inventory items at Amazon fulfillment centers. During that period, meltable items were removed and disposed of for a fee. 

Such an Amazon sale restriction was implemented to protect product integrity during the storage and shipping of meltable inventories. According to Amazon, “meltable” pertains to all heat-sensitive products, such as gummies, chocolate, and select jelly-based and wax-based products.

Amazon Sales Restrictions – Adult Products

Amazon introduced a policy update for adult products and explicit sexual imagery guidelines. From July 26, 2022, Amazon restricted any listings or product detail page images that feature explicit sexual imagery. Some of these products affected by the policy update include artwork, t-shirts, sculptures, figurines, sexual wellness products, posters, and drawings.

Amazon Sales Restrictions – Plumbing Equipment

On December 21 2021, Amazon also introduced restrictions on plumbing equipment products sold to consumers in California. Similar to the appliance sale restriction discussed above, the California Energy Commission (CEC) required that certain plumbing products sold in California meet minimum efficiency standards and must be registered in the MAEDbS with accurate information.

Amazon Sales Restrictions – Pesticide Products 

Amazon likewise updated their Amazon sale of pesticide products restrictions within California last November 2021. Besides complying with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements on the sale of pesticides, Amazon also required certain pesticide products to be registered with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR).

Increasing Your Amazon Sales

Your Amazon sales play a crucial role in the growth and success of your business. Hence, you should always strive to protect and improve your sales by adhering to any restrictions in place. As an Amazon seller, you should be able to make the necessary adjustments to satisfy the guidelines set by Amazon and the ever-changing eCommerce trends. 

Apart from following the guidelines and Amazon sales restrictions, you can increase your sales with the help of Amazon seller tools. Some of these Amazon seller tools can directly impact your sale by increasing your chances of winning the Amazon Buy Box.

In particular, you can use an Amazon repricer to help you automatically adjust listing prices to a competitive level. Aside from assisting you in winning the Buy Box, the use of AI repricing software for your Amazon business can also deliver other benefits advantageous to your business.

However, it highlighted that it remains selective with what the current situation demands. There are still some FBA prohibited products, which is why FBA restocking automation is affected.

Amazon New Seller Restrictions Prioritizes Essential Goods

It is recalled that since March 17, Amazon prohibited the sellers’ inbound shipments to its fulfillment centers in cooperation with the government’s program to halt the rapid spread of the virus.  Hence, the implementation of Amazon seller restrictions.

Products that are a necessity, such as household supplies and medical staples, were not included in the Amazon seller restrictions. A lot of Amazon sellers, therefore, were affected since many of them rely on Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) for their business, particularly those engaged in automated FBA restocking.

On March 21, Amazon partially relaxed its restriction policy concerning Amazon new seller restrictions with the gradually improving condition. It announced, “While we will continue prioritizing the products we can receive beyond April 5, we are now able to broaden the list.”

Amazon also informed sellers that it would continue to implement the social distancing guidelines within its fulfillment centers. That is to protect employees from virus transmission and to ensure that logistics will remain in relatively normal operations. It likewise emphasized the need to prioritize products that customers desperately need. After all, it is also a requirement that the government-mandated businesses should adhere to.

Amazon takes the following factors into consideration to assess which items will be allowed for shipment to its fulfillment centers:

• High-demand products customers need now
• Fulfillment center capacity
• Current inventory levels and inventory transit
• Ability to adhere to the latest health advisories and guidelines

In relation, Amazon recommended sellers who follow the FBA process to continually keep track of the Restock Inventory Page and Restock report in Seller Central. That is because Amazon will be regularly providing updates, including updates on FBA prohibited products. This information will be also helpful for sellers using automated FBA restocking software.

For more information and guidance, sellers can browse the FAQs via this help page on Amazon Seller Central.

Although certain restrictions are being lifted, some FBA sellers are shifting to Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM). One seller who lately checked their Restock report shared, however, that FMB was causing more harm than good to their earnings. He said, “An item we would net, say, $40 FBA, we can only net-like $32 FBM.” Other sellers also posted similar reviews, saying that there has to be more aggressive guidelines in place to benefit both sellers and Amazon as the global authorities’ work measures to address the Coronavirus crisis. But this has yet to be realized.

Some sellers expressed doubts about the recent pronouncements by Amazon, particularly, the return-to-normal of operations by April 5.

Still, Amazon has been projecting forward-looking statements to boost the morale of its sellers and customers. In one of its FAQ posts, Amazon said, “Given that the impact of COVID-19 is still developing, we do not have an exact date when operations will be fully restored. Instead, whenever possible, we will allow more products to be received, while still ensuring our fulfillment centers are able to process high-priority products.”

Amazon added, “All of us at Amazon is working hard to restore regular operations, and we appreciate your patience and understanding.” Thus, suggesting a more optimized FBA restocking automation process in the coming days.

Meanwhile, a report from the Business Insider Nordic revealed that Amazon has been driving in full steam ahead with 2020’s Prime Day shopping extravaganza, despite being slowed by the Coronavirus crisis.