News from Amazon 1 09/2025
Hello,
From now on, you'll receive our Amazon update every 14 days: crisp, concise, and with everything you really need to know.
US Tariffs Bring Package Shipping to a Standstill
Since late August, international parcel and letter traffic to the United States has drastically reduced. According to the Universal Postal Union (UPU), shipment volume has dropped by more than 80%. The trigger is the elimination of the so-called de minimis rule, which previously allowed duty-free import of goods up to a value of $800. Since August 29, regular tariff rates apply to nearly all shipments, for example 15% for packages from the EU.
As a result of this change, 88 postal service providers worldwide have completely or partially suspended their shipping to the USA. German providers are also reacting: DHL is currently no longer accepting commercial customer packages to the USA, and private individuals can only send gifts up to a value of $100.
Significance for Amazon Sellers and Vendors
For sellers who ship products via FBM directly from Europe to the USA, access to the US market becomes significantly more difficult: higher customs duties, additional documentation requirements, and restricted logistics options increase effort and costs. Vendors and sellers who rely on FBA are less affected by the new rules, as goods are typically imported in larger batches and already cleared through customs on-site. With the new tariff rates, the challenge for Amazon sellers and vendors shifts more heavily to calculation and pricing strategy. Higher import costs directly impact margins. Anyone who doesn't consider these additional costs risks unprofitable sales in the USA.
First, it's important to precisely determine total costs: purchase price, customs duties, processing fees, and pre-financing must be included. Based on this, sales prices should be adjusted. Small changes can strongly influence demand. Price testing and competitive monitoring help find the optimal price point.
The assortment should also be reviewed: low-margin items can be replaced with higher-margin alternatives. Bundle offers or multipacks increase the average goods value per shipment and better distribute fixed costs. Long-term, it's recommended to calculate various scenarios to flexibly adjust price calculation and logistics before the market comes under pressure.
Solutions Are Already in Development
The Universal Postal Union is working on technical solutions to restore international postal traffic with the USA. Since early September, a system has been available that supports automatic calculation and payment of customs duties. Whether and when shipping will stabilize remains to be seen. Companies should closely monitor further developments and adjust their logistics and price calculations accordingly.
Customer Reviews Dashboard Remains Available
Amazon is reversing course: The "Brand Customer Reviews" tool, which was originally supposed to be shut down and replaced by "Voice of the Customer," will now remain available to brands after all.
This step is justified by feedback from brands that highlighted the added value of the feature. "We have decided to continue supporting Brand Customer Reviews after receiving feedback from brands regarding the value of the function," Amazon states.
Changes in Ranking Tracking on Amazon
Since Amazon has increasingly personalized search engine results pages (SERPs), this has had significant effects on tracking organic rankings. In addition to individual user preferences, geographic factors (GEO rankings) also play a role, which can lead to highly variable results. As a result, common tools are finding it increasingly difficult to display uniform and comparable keyword rankings.
Challenges for Analysis Tools
While GEO-related differences can still be technically captured, personalization reaches clear limits. Products that are shown to individual users as particularly relevant appear higher in the results – regardless of what tracking tools can read.
This leads to high volatility: A product can be at position 1 one day, at position 96+ the next, and shortly after back in the top 10. Instead of tracking individual keyword rankings, it can make sense to monitor the number of keywords appearing in the top 10 or top 50.
This metric correlates better with actual sales figures in many cases and provides a more stable picture of visibility.
Details can be found with Alexander Swade on LinkedIn.
REVOIC Online Roundtable Edition: October
On October 2, 2025, starting at 3:00 PM, it's time again: We're inviting you to our popular online roundtable. In 45 minutes, we'll guide you through the most relevant and current Amazon news from the last 4 weeks.
News Snippets
Amazon strengthens the Werne location in Germany. 900 additional positions and a complete conversion to an inbound crossdock demonstrate the importance of Germany as a logistics location for Amazon.
On September 24 and 25, the 17th edition of the Amazon Sales Congress takes place in Weimar. Save 125 euros now with code: Hangout-125
Keep and Discount: Amazon's new return processes pose risks, reports Onlinehändler-News.
With Lens AI, Amazon enhances photo search in the APP and gives customers faster ways to find their product on Amazon.
Amazon has published an official 30-day launch plan for sellers, which you can view here.
