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Hazardous materials policy

Hazardous materials such as poisons, explosive precursors, corrosive substances, ozone-depleting substances, radioactive materials and items that contain or release such substances are generally prohibited on eBay.

This policy was updated on 21 March 2025 to include examples of corrosive substances which may not be listed, and clarify that trichloroethylene may not be listed on eBay. For more information about this change, please see our announcement board - opens in new window or tab.

We take great care to protect the health and safety of our members. Our hazardous, restricted or regulated materials policy reflects this commitment to eBay user safety by strictly adhering to government regulations on the transportation of dangerous goods.

What is the policy?

Most hazardous materials are prohibited on eBay.

The following are not allowed:

  • Combustible materials like black powder, caps for toy guns, explosive fuses, fireworks, exploding targets, flares, flash paper, red phosphorous, gasoline, Thermite
  • Corrosive substances including ammonium hydroxide, formic acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite and sulphuric acid
  • Dinitrophenol (DNP) in any of its forms, either as a pure substance or active ingredient of any product (such as weight-loss supplements)
  • Explosives precursors including aluminium powder, ammonium nitrate, calcium ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate, hydrogen peroxide above 12% weight by weight (carbamide peroxide above 34% by weight), magnesium nitrate hexahydrate, magnesium powder, nitric acid, nitromethane, nitro-fuel, potassium chlorate, potassium nitrate, potassium perchlorate, sodium azide, sodium chlorate, sodium nitrate, sodium perchlorate, sulphuric acid and urea nitrate
  • Fire extinguishers that contain carbon tetrachloride
  • Hazardous materials banned by a selected delivery provider (Sellers should check with them before listing an item)
  • Methylene chloride (dichloromethane) and any product that contains it
  • Non-government-approved refrigerants
  • Poisons and carcinogenic substances
  • Radioactive materials
  • Trichloroethylene

The following are restricted:

  • If the material can be sent by standard postage services and is not prohibited by local laws or regulations, then it can be listed
  • If hazardous materials have specific postage restrictions required by the delivery provider, these must be outlined in the item description

WELS Products

The Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 (WELS Act - opens in new window or tab) is Australia's water efficiency labelling scheme that requires certain products to be registered and labelled with their water efficiency in accordance with the standard set under this regulation.

The WELS Act requires that all new WELS products such as showers, tap and toilet equipment, clothes washing machines and dishwashers be supplied as they are registered, and the water efficiency information be displayed in the listing. See the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme website - opens in new window or tab for more details and to check registrations.

If you supply or sell WELS products, you must ensure that you meet the requirements of the WELS Act - opens in new window or tab and that the products:

GEMS Products

Australia's Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 (GEMS Act) - opens in new window or tab sets registration, minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and energy labelling requirements for a range of appliances and equipment such as televisions, dishwashers, certain lighting products, three-phase electric motors and computers. The Energy Rating website contains a full list of regulated products and their specific requirements - opens in new window or tab.

Under the GEMS Act, all models covered by the regulation must be registered prior to being supplied. Further information on the registration process - opens in new window or tab is available on the Energy Rating website.

Products that do not meet these requirements cannot be supplied in Australia. Please note that the GEMS Act contains a range of penalties for non-compliance.

Additionally, some products, such as certain incandescent tungsten filament lamps (light bulbs), are also covered by Customs import prohibitions - opens in new window or tab and cannot be imported into Australia without written permission granted by the relevant Minister or an authorised officer.

For more information about the relevant legislation, registration and compliance, please check the Energy Rating website for suppliers - opens in new window or tab.

Emissions-controlled products

The Product Emissions Standards Act 2017 and the Product Emissions Standards Rules 2017 set emissions limits for the following products:

  • New spark-ignition engines used in outdoor power equipment such as lawn mowers, generators and whipper snippers
  • Marine vessels such as outboard engines, personal watercraft and stern-drive engines

The Act requires that all new products are certified and labelled in accordance with the standards before they can be supplied to the Australian market. 'Supply' includes any offer to supply, including making available, displaying or advertising the product.

If you supply an emissions-controlled product, you will need to ensure it is:

  • Certified to a recognised international standard, as detailed in section 26 of the Rules, or Australian standards
  • Correctly labelled in accordance with section 39 of the Rules

See the Product Emissions Standards website - opens in new window or tab for detailed guidance on meeting the requirements of the Act.

Sellers need to comply with any applicable laws and regulations. You can find important information about regulations concerning some of the hazardous materials mentioned in this policy in the Australian National Security guidance for chemical security - opens in new window or tab.

Activity on eBay is required to follow this policy, the eBay User Agreement and all applicable laws, as well as respect the rights of third parties. If it doesn't, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: Removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension.

Tip
Visit Seller Help - opens in new window or tab to find details of any policy issues with your account or listings, and get the information you need to quickly resolve them.

Why does eBay have this policy?

This policy helps sellers follow important government regulations.

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