Amazon suspending FBA shipment creation in the US and EU due to coronavirus fears

[whohit]Amazon suspending FBA shipment creation in the US and EU due to coronavirus fears[/whohit]According to the latest announcement, third party sellers on the platform will be temporarily unable to create new FBA shipments for specific categories of products until 5.April 2020 due to coronavirus fears.

Here you can review the full announcement:

Amazon also provided a list of frequently asked questions along with their answers:

What products am I able to ship to FBA?

We are prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and deliver these products to customers. Most of the products we are accepting at this time are in the below categories. 

1. Baby Products
2. Health & Household 
3. Beauty & Personal Care (including personal care appliances)
4. Grocery 
5. Industrial & Scientific 
6. Pet Supplies

Listing products in an inaccurate category is a violation of our listing policies and may result in account suspension.

Is Amazon taking similar steps for retail products?

Yes.

Where does this apply?

This is currently being applied to the US and EU marketplaces.

What if I already have a shipment on its way?

Shipments created before March 17, 2020, will be received. 

What happens to my products that are in an Amazon fulfillment center but are not in one of the above categories? Can I still sell this item on Amazon?

Yes, if your product is already on its way and/or in our fulfillment center, you can continue to sell it.

I believe my product is a household staple and/or a medical supply, but I am not able to create a shipment. What should I do? 

We determine if a product is a household staple, a medical supply, or both based upon the listing. At this time we are not accepting requests to re-classify listings. 

My product is listed within the prioritized categories, but I am not able to create a shipment. What should I do? 

If your product is correctly classified and you are not able to create a shipment, then the product in question is not prioritized at this time. 

I don’t sell household staples or medical supplies. What is going to happen to my business if I can’t replenish my products?

We are making these temporary adjustments in order to prioritize household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and ship these products to customers. You may continue to sell products already in our fulfillment centers. This will be in effect March 17, 2020, through April 5, 2020, and we will let you know once we resume regular operations.

We understand this is a change to your business, and we did not take this decision lightly. We are working around the clock to increase capacity and yesterday announced that we are opening 100,000 new full- and part-time positions in our fulfillment centers across the US.

Can I still sell non-household staples or medical supplies through merchant-fulfilled channels?

Yes.

What happens if my Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score falls because of this?

We are working diligently to account for this change in your IPI score and in storage limits for the following quarter.