Safety & Compliance First
Amazon requires a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) to accompany the sale of certain items on their platform. If an item is identified as a hazardous material—or “Hazmat”—indluding cosmetics, cleaning supplies, batteries, essential oils, perfumes, auto parts, and other chemical-containing products. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer, supplier, or distributor to provide one to Amazon which is then provided to customers upon purchase of the product. The SDS also needs to be written for the country the goods are sold into. If you manufacture the product in China but sell to the United States; the SDS needs to be written for US OSHA Regulations. If you sell the product to Canada; the SDS needs to incorporate Canadian WHMIS regulations and available in French and English. If it is sold into France, then the SDS needs to incorporate CLP Regulation and be written in French. Having an experienced Authoring Service can ensure market compliance and prevent shipping delays at the border.
The SDS is a vital document describing how to safely handle, store, ship, and dispose of these items. The SDS is a requirement of Amazon’s Dangerous Goods / Hazmat program, designed to protect staff, customers, and logistics operations.
Regulatory & Customs Requirements
Beyond Amazon’s own policies, providing SDSs is often mandatory under regulations like the U.S. OSHA Hazard Communication Standard or the European Union’s REACH directives. Customs and freight forwarders may also require an SDS to clear shipments.
Avoid Listing Delays or Removal
If Amazon flags your product as hazmat and you can’t provide an SDS—or a valid Exemption Sheet—they may pause your listing, request additional documentation, or even remove your listing completely. Providing an SDS speeds up hazardous goods reviews and helps keep your product active.
Amazon’s own Seller Central guidance confirms that SDSs are mandatory for chemical-based products, and are typically obtained from the manufacturer or supplier.
Where Do You Get an SDS Made?
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Ask Your Manufacturer or Supplier
Your first step: check with your manufacturer. For standardized products (like wet wipes or cleaning solutions), they might already have a compliant SDS ready for distribution. However, many chemical producers—especially overseas—may be unfamiliar with SDS authoring, or lack the correct format and language needed for Amazon.
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Use a Third-Party SDS Authoring Service
If your supplier can't provide a proper SDS, you’ll typically need to hire a third-party service to produce it. These authoring services specialize in crafting GHS-compliant, multilingual, jurisdiction-specific SDS documents—including translations and regulatory updates.
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Reference Free SDS Databases – approach with caution
Some manufacturers publish SDSs on their websites or through databases—but these are only useful if the SDS matches your exact product formulation. Generic or mismatched sheets can lead to compliance issues. SDSs posted may be misleading based on country jurisdiction and or offer outdated documents. For example, an English language SDS you find on a public database may be written for Australia when you require one for the United Kingdom market. SDSs are also reissued periodically based on regulation updates in the country of sale, and you may not have a current document for your product.
Final Tips
- If your product has any hazard potential (like flammability, toxicity, pressurization, etc.), expect to provide an SDS.
- Start SDS conversations early—if ordering from an overseas manufacturer, clarify upfront who’s responsible for SDS creation.
- Use a SDS Authoring partner who understands the regulations and formatting needs to avoid resubmissions.
Get SDS Authoring Help Today
Avoid the risks of a poorly written SDS. Contact the Quantum SDS team for professional authoring services solutions tailored to your business.
