Amazon US DOE Compliance on February 18, 2025

Recently, Amazon sent notifications to many sellers, announcing an update to the compliance policy for plumbing products, effective February 18, 2025. The update requires that all related products must meet the latest energy efficiency and water conservation standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Amazon Tightens Plumbing Product Compliance

In the notification, Amazon clearly stated that only plumbing products verified by the manufacturer or importer as meeting DOE standards will be allowed for sale. Products lacking a valid model number in the item model field will be disabled.

The DOE certification is an energy efficiency standard established by the U.S. Department of Energy for specific products, aimed at REDucing energy consumption and environmental pollution. Products that pass certification must comply with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EISA) and bear the DOE energy efficiency label.

Which Products Require DOE Certification?

DOE energy efficiency certification applies to over 60 different types of products, including household appliances, heating/cooling devices, electronics, and lighting products.

According to the latest DOE regULations, testing procedures for faucets, showerheads, toilets, and urinals have been revised. Relevant products must undergo DOE certification.

In addition, the DOE continuously updates its list of certified products to include more categories, ensuring broad coverage to meet various sector needs.

Household Appliances:

- Air purifiers, clothes dryers, washing machines, refrigerators and freezers, room air conditioners, televisions, water heaters, MICrowaves, dishwashers, dehumidifiers, portable air conditioners, portable spas, commercial ice makers, refrigerated drink vending machines

Cooling Equipment:

- Other refrigeration, pool heaters, air-cooled packaged air conditioners and heat pumps, evaporative cooling packaged air conditioners, terminal air conditioners and heat pumps, refrigeration equipment, standalone vertical air conditioners and heat pumps, variable refrigerant flow air conditioners and heat pumps, walk-in coolers and freezers, water-cooled packaged air conditioners

Heating and Related Equipment:

- Boilers, direct heating devices, space heaters, water heating equipment, water-source heat pumps, unit heaters

Ventilation Equipment:

- Ceiling fans, furnace fans, fans and blowers, dedicated outdoor air systems

Electrical Equipment:

- Battery chargers, computers and battery backup systems, external power supplies, uninterruptible power supplies, distribution transformers, electric motors, circulating pumps, dedicated pool pumps, dedicated pool pump motors, commercial packaged boilers, commercial and industrial air compressors, machine room air conditioners

Lighting Fixtures:

- Certain lamps, compact fluorescent lamps, fluorescent lamp ballasts, general fluorescent lamps, general incandescent lamps, high-intensity discharge lamps, exit signs, incandescent reflector lamps, light-emitting diodes, light fixtures, metal halide lamp fixtures, floor lamps

Other:

- Traditional cooking products, mobile homes, set-top boxes, ceiling fan light kits, traffic signal modules, and pedestrian modules

Key Considerations for DOE Certification:

The DOE certification helps avoid product removal from platforms like Amazon or customs seizures, ensuring smooth market entry into the U.S.

Without certification, sellers could face daily fines up to $503, with cumulative fines potentially exceeding $200,000.

Simply put, if sellers only receive a notification from Amazon, the worst-case scenario is that the product gets removed from the platform. Once compliance is met, the product can be relisted. However, if the U.S. Department of Energy conducts a review, the fines could be devastating.

Fines imposed by the DOE are calculated based on the products sold and the number of days they were listed, with a one-year calculation cycle. The accumulated fines can be overwhelming.

It has been reported that some sellers received similar notifications before the Chinese New Year, and some even received DOE fine notices less than five hours after the email.

We advise sellers who have received the email to appeal as soon as possible and to complete the DOE certification process promptly.

Key Points for Sellers Applying for DOE Certification:

1. Provide authentic and accurate certification materials and product information to avoid falsifying or altering data.

2. DOE-recognized laboratory testing typically takes 4-8 weeks. It is recommended to prepare technical documents (such as design drawings, materials lists) simultaneously.

3. Upload the certification documents to the seller backend, optimize the product page to highlight energy-saving features (e.g., "DOE certified water-saving 30%"), and check stock product packaging to add compliance labels.

The Chinese JJR Laboratory offers DOE registration and DOE testing report services for Amazon-listed products. Feel free to contact us for consultation.