Which products need an SDS on Amazon, Etsy & Trendyol?

Many small sellers on Amazon, Etsy or Trendyol are surprised the first time they receive a "please provide a Safety Data Sheet for your product" message. "I'm not a big chemical company, I just sell perfume / candles / cleaning products" is a common reaction. Yet the party asking for the document is rarely just one: the platform, the carrier and Turkish regulation all ask for the same document for different reasons.

This article explains which products need an SDS/MSDS and why, in the order a seller actually encounters them.

1. Why is the same document asked in three places?

The confusing part for a small seller is that an SDS is not the input of a single authority, but the shared input of three independent processes.

• Platform (Amazon / Etsy / Trendyol): Before accepting the product into its warehouse and listing it, the platform needs the document to determine the hazard class and handle it safely.
• Air cargo / logistics: Flammable, pressurised or battery-containing products shipped by air fall under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR). The carrier needs the SDS for correct classification and packaging; a missing declaration stops the shipment.
• Turkish law: If you place the product on the Turkish market (domestic sales, including Trendyol), the duty to prepare a Safety Data Sheet for hazardous substances/mixtures arises from SEA and KKDİK legislation.

So the document is not "a job for big factories" — if the product's content falls into a hazardous class, it is required regardless of the seller's size.

2. Product categories that need an SDS/MSDS

The table below summarises the product groups most often asked for a document on marketplaces, and why. What matters is not the product's name but the classification of its content — one product in a category may need a document while a similar one does not.

3. Amazon: the Dangerous Goods program

When Amazon flags a product as a potential dangerous good, it asks the seller for a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) or an exemption sheet. Without the document the product cannot be listed in FBA, or it is closed for sale.

• The required format is a 16-section, GHS-compliant SDS; the old one-page MSDS is not accepted.
• If the product is battery-powered or contains no harmful chemicals, an exemption sheet may be enough instead of an SDS.
• When a product enters dangerous goods review, Amazon gives the seller a limited window (typically a few business days) to submit the document; otherwise the listing is suspended.

Items Amazon treats as dangerous goods include perfume, essential oils, power banks and battery devices, cartridges/toners and other chemical-containing products.

4. Etsy: prohibited hazardous materials and document requests

Etsy's Prohibited Items Policy restricts the sale of explosive, flammable or toxic hazardous materials. For sellers of handmade cosmetics, soap, candles and cleaning products, Etsy reserves the right to request ingredient information and a safety document (MSDS/SDS) to assess compliance.

Because cross-border Etsy sales are mostly shipped by air, even if a product complies with Etsy's policy, IATA rules apply separately on the transport side (see the next section). Cosmetics sold to the EU also raise additional documents such as the Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR).

5. Trendyol and domestic sales: the GBF obligation

Selling on domestic marketplaces such as Trendyol means placing the product on the Turkish market. For perfume, room fragrance, cosmetics, detergent-scope cleaning products and other mixtures classified as hazardous, preparing a Safety Data Sheet (GBF) is a legal obligation.

• Since 1 January 2024 the GBF is prepared according to KKDİK Annex-2 and signed by a Chemical Assessment Expert (KDU).
• The document must be in Turkish, have 16 sections, and be consistent with the packaging label (SEA pictograms, H/P statements).
• The obligation applies to the manufacturer, importer and seller/distributor — "I only sell it" is not an exemption.

Cosmetic products also carry a product notification duty under the Cosmetics Regulation; the GBF does not replace it — the two run alongside each other.

6. Air cargo (IATA): the step that actually stops the shipment

Even after clearing the platform, the product passes a second gate when it boards the aircraft. Flammable, pressurised or battery-containing products fall under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR):

• Perfume and high-alcohol liquids → Class 3 (flammable liquid)
• Aerosols / sprays → Class 2 (pressurised gas)
• Lithium batteries and power banks → Class 9 (miscellaneous); separate rules by watt-hour / lithium content

These products require a dangerous goods declaration, UN-approved packaging and an SDS for the carrier. The document that states the correct class and UN number is, in fact, Section 14 of the SDS. Dangerous goods shipped undeclared can lead to stopped shipments and, depending on the country, administrative fines reaching tens of thousands of dollars.

7. "My supplier gave me an English SDS — is that enough?"

Partly. An English SDS from a foreign manufacturer usually works for the platform upload and the air cargo declaration. But if you sell in Turkey, a Turkish GBF adapted to Turkish law is also required:

• A foreign SDS is usually written to EU (REACH/CLP) law; exposure limits, waste codes and the regulatory section must be adapted to Turkey.
• A literal translation is not enough — this is the most common non-conformity in audits.
• The correct approach is to take the foreign SDS as a source document and re-author it with a KDU signature.

8. What should I do as a seller? (short checklist)

• 1. Scope check: Does your product contain a hazardous chemical? The content is classified against SEA.
• 2. Document: If needed, a Turkish GBF in KKDİK Annex-2 format with a KDU signature (plus an English SDS for platform/cargo).
• 3. Label: Make the packaging label consistent with the GBF (pictograms, H/P statements).
• 4. Transport: Determine the IATA class, UN number and packing group and declare correctly to the carrier.
• 5. Update: Revise the document when the formulation or the law changes.

All of these steps revolve around a single correct SDS/GBF. Related reading: Is an SDS mandatory in Turkey? · How to register under KKDİK

Frequently asked questions

This article is for general information; the classification of your product's content and the current legislation should govern its specific case. Platform policies may change over time. Last updated: 23 July 2026.