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Embargoed goods and prohibited countries policy
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Policy overview

Various US agencies have restrictions in place that regulate or ban all trade with certain countries. eBay doesn't allow the sale of embargoed or restricted items from these countries. A complete list of countries is listed in the guidelines below.

Federal agencies also ban or regulate trade between people in the US and certain organizations, businesses, and individuals. eBay doesn't allow those organizations, businesses, or individuals to use our website.

Under US law, buying or selling certain items made in restricted countries may not be lawful, depending on the nature of the item, when it was manufactured, and when it left that specific country. Generally, items from restricted countries may be sold only if they’re considered to be informational, pre-embargo, or licensed.

Sellers willing to ship internationally, as well as sellers of items made outside the US, should regularly review current information about which countries may be affected by sanctions enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a division of the US Department of the Treasury. For more information about laws governing such trade, please see additional information below.

Make sure you follow these guidelines. If you don't, you may be subject to a range of actions, including limits of your buying and selling privileges and suspension of your account.

What are the guidelines?

The following information is meant as a general guideline to help you determine if an item is allowed to be sold on eBay.

Allowed

  • Certain informational items about sanctioned countries, such as books, movies, artwork, photographs, music, or similar materials.

Restricted

  • Replica items of antiques and artifacts must clearly state that they're replicas.

  • The items must still meet all eBay policy guidelines.

 

Not allowed

  • We don't allow items on our site if they fall under the embargo regulations with the following countries:

    • Burma (Myanmar)

    • Cuba

    • Iran

    • North Korea

    • Sudan

    • Syria

We also don't allow organizations, businesses, or individuals from these countries to have or register accounts while based in these countries.

You can review the most up-to-date list of sanctions affecting countries, organizations, and individuals by visiting the Office of Foreign Assets Control website.

Additional information

This eBay policy is a guideline, and should only be used as a starting point for members buying and selling such items. For more details about laws governing such trades, and copies of the actual governing laws, visit the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control website.

International sellers should also familiarize themselves with other federal agencies and restrictions that they may have in place. Links to these agency websites are maintained on the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security website.

Additional information about these regulations and lists of these prohibited persons can be found at the Office of Foreign Assets Control website.

As a US-based company, this policy applies to items sold on all eBay websites globally. Our international websites may also have additional rules for embargoed goods based on local regulations. Please be sure to check each country's website to see what's allowed.

Why does eBay have this policy?

eBay urges its sellers and buyers to follow all government laws and regulations. The sale of embargoed items is prohibited by law and may cause harm to eBay or its members. Therefore, sellers may not list them on eBay.

Contact Customer Support
You can contact Customer Support to report a listing you think violates this policy. Go to that listing, and then click the Report item link on the right side of the page.

We'll review your report and take appropriate action.
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