GLOBAL SELLING
Expand into North America
Why expand into North America?
Access the world's largest economy
Increase cash flow by taking advantage of peak shopping opportunities during the US holiday season. Don't miss out on hundreds of millions of new customers! No need to register as a business in the United States.
Unified account
A North American unified account allows you to easily switch between Amazon.com, Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.mx seller tools through Seller Central, to list your products and manage orders on multiple marketplaces. You can decide whether to list on one, two or all three available North American marketplaces.
Let Amazon take care of the details
Take advantage of our highest-quality logistics services, valuable tools and great customer service to streamline global sales, allowing you to focus solely on growing your business.
Learn how other sellers have expanded successfully into North America
If I had to make a suggestion to a company interested in expanding into the United States, I would say:
do it with Amazon.Gui PerrierCo-founder of Dodow | France
Service Provider Network
Get help managing your business' global expansion from Amazon's third-party resource services.
US holiday calendar
Use this calendar to plan for peak shopping periods in the United States.
FAQ
Get answers to frequently asked questions about selling in North America.
Overview
What products can I sell in North America?
It depends on the product, the product group and the brand. Some product groups are open to all sellers, others require a professional seller account or approval in order to sell them, and still others include products that cannot be sold by third-party sellers.
To sell branded products protected by copyright, trademarks or patents, you must be the legal owner of the brand or an authorised reseller.
To sell branded products protected by copyright, trademarks or patents, you must be the legal owner of the brand or an authorised reseller.
Should I start selling only in the United States or also in the other North American marketplaces?
Choose where to start based on your company's specific situation, always taking into account product group, distribution rights, resources and other factors. Many Selling Partners have successfully started selling in all Amazon North American marketplaces at once. Amazon tools and services, such as Build International Listings (BIL) and FBA services in North America, make it easy to sell across all the North American marketplaces.
If you don't feel ready to sell on all three marketplaces yet or if your distribution rights don't cover them all, you can start with just one or two of them.
A North American unified account allows you to easily switch between Amazon.com, Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.mx seller tools in Seller Central, to list your products and manage orders on multiple marketplaces. You can decide whether to list on one, two or all three available North American marketplaces. When managing your Amazon inventory on Amazon's US, Canadian and Mexican marketplaces, it's important that you understand the difference between the global SKU and the marketplace-specific SKU in Seller Central. You can learn more about these topics here.
If you don't feel ready to sell on all three marketplaces yet or if your distribution rights don't cover them all, you can start with just one or two of them.
A North American unified account allows you to easily switch between Amazon.com, Amazon.ca or Amazon.com.mx seller tools in Seller Central, to list your products and manage orders on multiple marketplaces. You can decide whether to list on one, two or all three available North American marketplaces. When managing your Amazon inventory on Amazon's US, Canadian and Mexican marketplaces, it's important that you understand the difference between the global SKU and the marketplace-specific SKU in Seller Central. You can learn more about these topics here.
What are the main differences between selling in Europe and selling in the United States on Amazon.com?
Amazon has designed all its marketplaces in such a way that the sales process is similar and consistent worldwide, regardless of where you are selling from. Many familiar services and processes used in the United States, such as Amazon Logistics, Prime and Sponsored Products, function in a similar way in Amazon's other North American marketplaces.
However, due to differences in regulations, culture and language, each marketplace has its own unique features. Here are some top tips:
However, due to differences in regulations, culture and language, each marketplace has its own unique features. Here are some top tips:
- Taxes: The sales tax system in North America is different from the VAT system in Europe. Consult a tax advisor for guidance on the sales tax system in the United States. Take a look at our Service Provider Network.
- Product compliance: When selecting an Amazon marketplace in which to sell, you must first understand whether your product is appropriate for that particular country. First of all, make sure that you comply with all applicable laws in each country. In addition, product standards vary from country to country. For more information, visit this Restricted Products page.
How hard is it to start selling in North America?
Starting to sell in a new geographic region like North America is a big challenge. However, for many sellers, the time invested in researching and managing requirements is well rewarded through the opportunity to sell to millions of additional customers. Amazon provides you with a variety of tools and services that make it easy to start selling in North America.
Just as when you started selling in Europe, your success in North America will vary depending on specific factors related to your business, such as product group, margins and regulatory requirements. It's important to take some time early on in the process to fully consider all the pros and cons of selling in a new marketplace. Our guide to developing a strategy for entering a new marketplace may be of help to you.
Just as when you started selling in Europe, your success in North America will vary depending on specific factors related to your business, such as product group, margins and regulatory requirements. It's important to take some time early on in the process to fully consider all the pros and cons of selling in a new marketplace. Our guide to developing a strategy for entering a new marketplace may be of help to you.
Requirements
What do I need to do to sell on Amazon in North America?
There are four basic steps to take to start selling in North America:
- Decide where and what to sell, also taking into account local tax and regulatory requirements.
- Log in with an account and publish listings for your products.
- Ship your goods and fulfil orders.
- Manage your business, customer service and returns.
Which North American regulations must I take into account?
Check out the resources below if you want to learn more about North American regulations.
Do I need an American business entity or bank account?
No. You can continue to use your UK business entity and bank account. Amazon's Currency Converter for Selling Partners helps you convert pounds and euros into any local currency.
Accounts and listings
Can I use my bank account in Italy to sell in North America?
No, you must open an account in North America.
Can I transfer my Amazon.it product listings to Amazon's North American marketplaces?
Yes, using our Build International Listings tool. The Build International Listings tool allows you to manage your listings quickly and easily, as well as creating and updating your listings in different Amazon marketplaces at the same time through your unified account. Once you have created and published listings on your "home" marketplace, you can select them and identify a target marketplace where you currently have no listings. The Build International Listings tool performs the following automatic tasks:
- Allows you to create listings on multiple target marketplaces based on the products you are selling on your home marketplace.
- Each time that you add or delete a listing, this tool automatically updates them in the target marketplaces.
- Adjusts prices in the target marketplaces in line with price changes on your home marketplace, following the automated pricing rules that have been set.
- Adjusts prices on the target marketplaces to reflect fluctuations in the exchange rate of the home marketplace currency.
Do North American listings require a new ASIN?
Only sometimes. Product ASINs are 'global' and differ only if the product is materially different from the original ASIN. For example, if you had three versions of the same product because it changes according to the type of electrical socket (Europe, UK and US), each version would have its own ASIN. However, if the products are not substantially different (e.g. they vary only in colour), there will be a single ASIN.
I am authorised to sell products in the UK that require approval for a certain product group. Do I have to obtain a new approval to be able to sell the same products in North America? What documents do I need?
Yes, you will probably have to obtain a separate approval for North America because different countries have different regulations. You will be asked to provide the required documents during the application process.
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