When selling small items such as handmade hair clips and scrunchies on Amazon Canada, many shop owners focus only on photos and ads and forget the strict rules of Amazon and the Canadian authorities. One of the most common reasons shipments are refused at the warehouse or listings are removed is a missing choking hazard warning. This article explains exactly how to label your products and how to calculate the most cost-effective prep costs.
Mandatory choking hazard warning labels
In Canada, products for children or small items children could easily swallow (especially hair accessories for under-3s or those with small parts such as beads, buttons or small metal clips) must carry a choking hazard warning.
Warning label content
The warning must be in both of Canada’s official languages, English and French. Standard wording commonly used:
- English: “WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.”
- French: “ATTENTION: DANGER D’ÉTOUFFEMENT – Petites pièces. Ne convient pas aux enfants de moins de 3 ans.”
Size and placement
- The label must be printed clearly and sharply on the product’s outer packaging (usually an OPP bag or a small paper box for hair clips).
- If the product is in a plastic bag with an opening of 5 inches (about 12.7 cm) or more when laid flat, the bag itself must also carry a printed or added suffocation warning.
- The warning label must not cover the product barcode (FNSKU or UPC).
Step-by-step Amazon Canada labelling
To get a shipment of handmade hair clips from Vietnam accepted smoothly into Amazon Canada’s warehouse, follow this prep process:
Step 1: Print and apply an FNSKU to each product
Each hair clip or set of clips needs its own FNSKU barcode on the outer packaging. This is how Amazon identifies that the product belongs to your store.
Step 2: Apply the choking hazard warning
Apply the choking hazard warning next to or above the FNSKU on the packaging. Make sure the label is flat, without creased corners, and won’t peel off in transit.
Step 3: Pack them in a large shipping box
Pack the fully labelled products in a carton. Print and apply the Amazon FBA Box ID label to the outside of the box. Don’t place it over the tape sealing the box.
Cost breakdown for labelling prep and storage
Doing the work yourself in Vietnam may save on labour, but the risk of labelling mistakes that get your goods fined or returned by Amazon is high. Using an intermediate fulfillment service in Canada to check and relabel goods is a safer solution.
Here is an estimated cost breakdown when using Soleil Transportation’s fulfillment service in Canada:
- Receiving fee: Based on the actual number of pallets or cartons.
- FNSKU / choking hazard labelling: From just $5 CAD per order for the all-in-one fulfillment service (storage, packing, labelling and delivery for e-commerce sellers).
- Temporary storage fee: Based on the actual space used each month.
- Domestic shipping from the transit warehouse to Amazon Canada warehouses: From $35 per parcel depending on the actual size and weight.
All-in-one shipping and handling to Canada
To keep costs down and avoid delays, shop owners should combine two-way shipping with professional warehouse handling.
Dedicated air freight
From Vietnam, you can send cartons of hair accessories packed in bulk to Canada by air. Average transit time is 7–14 days. Air freight on the Vietnam–Canada route starts at just $16/kg (import duties included, so you don’t have to worry about complicated clearance at Canadian customs).
Use the transit warehouse in Mississauga, Ontario
Instead of sending goods straight from Vietnam into Amazon’s warehouse (and risking penalties for incorrect labels), the goods go to the Soleil Transportation warehouse at 2446 Cawthra Road, B1U8, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5A 3K6. Here, our team will:
- Check the physical condition of the goods after the flight.
- Apply choking hazard warnings and FNSKU labels exactly as Amazon requires.
- Palletise the goods or repack them in compliant cartons.
- Arrange fast delivery to Amazon warehouses in Canada.
To start planning your next shipment of handmade hair accessories, check your product packaging sizes carefully and prepare your label print files. For more advice on clearing handmade products or an accurate quote for labelling at our Canadian warehouse, call +1 888-998-5199 or email your product details to info@soleiltransportation.com for the fastest support.
