The Monthly Roundup: FBA seller news

Every month, while you focus on running and growing your business, we stay on top of the news and issues important to FBA sellers. (And we don’t limit our coverage to all things sales tax, although we’ve got you covered there, too.)

In our monthly roundup, you’ll find news you can use — from popular topics in the Amazon forums to studies and reports. Read on for some of the stories and developments we found interesting in recent weeks.

Tariffs on Chinese products could hit FBA sellers hard
The Trump administration announced tariffs on a massive list of products sourced from China, including coats, knives, tools, electric motors, speakers, electronics, and auto parts, according to Business Insider. View the list to see how your business may be impacted.

Should you go international?
A recent Forbes article noted that while taking your sales international can be a great way to grow, going across borders is not without risk. For example, in China, “Singles’ Day” online sales in 2017 were $25 billion — that’s 25 percent of annual U.S. ecommerce sales in one day. However, the article also cites cultural shopping differences, market research, and currency issues as key challenges.

eBay will start collecting tax in three states; also collects signatures for reform
eBay recently announced it will begin collecting sales tax on behalf of sellers in three states with marketplace facilitator laws (Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Washington) beginning in 2019. The company also gathered more than 1 million signatures on a petition calling for Congress to pass legislation simplifying — and clarifying — sales tax collection across all states for small businesses.

Be sure to check back each month for fresh news and email us at trustfile@avalara.com if there’s something you think we should cover.