Last month, Amazon announced that it would no longer receive non-essential shipments of FBA inventory, however, they originally said that this would only persist until April 5, 2020. Essentially, the freeze prevents Amazon Sellers in the U.S. and E.U. from creating shipments to be received by Amazon’s fulfillment centers through Seller Central. Now, the freeze is ongoing, and Amazon Sellers are protesting.

Unfortunately, it appears that this freeze will continue until further notice, as Amazon has stated in an FAQ, “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.”

That being said, at least 53% of Amazon Sellers are directly impacted by the freeze, according to a report issued by Jungle Scout. This is a very telling number, as Amazon Sellers are now also grappling with the all-too-real effects of the new coronavirus. If, however, you are an Amazon Seller and you are capable of creating an “essential” listing, you may still sell those items. The six “essential” categories, as defined by Amazon, are as follows:

• Baby products
• Health and household items
• Beauty and personal care
• Grocery
• Industrial and scientific
• Pet supplies

For any additional questions regarding how the new coronavirus may affect your business, speak with our Certified Public Accountant today.

If you are an Amazon seller and require the assistance of an experienced Certified Public Accountant, please contact Ebiz Accounting for an initial consultation. We provide Amazon business accounting services to clients in New York and throughout the United States. All Amazon sellers should have an accountant they can trust. If you are looking to expand your business, or even form a new one, do not hesitate to reach out to our knowledgeable team today.