So you want to sell on Amazon FBA, but your supplier is in a different country. The benefits of selling on Amazon FBA are huge, but buying goods from USA suppliers can be pricey. Dropshipping from overseas suppliers is an attractive option to keep costs down. But everyone knows you can make a ton of money by selling on Amazon FBA. Is it possible to ship supplies from China to Amazon FBA? Yes, with some caveats.
Let’s learn how you can cash in by selling on Amazon FBA when your supplier is in another country.
Here’s what to do Fortunately, there are two ways to do this. The first is having the overseas supplier ship directly to Amazon FBA. The other option is having a middleman handle the logistics for you. There are pros and cons to each.
Shipping Directly From China to Amazon FBA The concept is straightforward: you buy goods from a factory in China or India, and the factory, or a forwarder it works with, ships them straight into Amazon's fulfillment centers as an FBA inbound shipment. That is an FBA route. It is not Seller Fulfilled Prime , which puts the Prime badge on products you fulfill without Amazon, from your own or a 3PL's warehouse rather than from Amazon's fulfillment centers.
Steps: 1. Create the shipment in Seller Central.
2. Explain to the overseas supplier how to prep the item for Amazon FBA (barcodes, pallet labels on all four sides, carton labels, etc.)
3. Find a freight forwarder to ship door-to-door from China to the Amazon fulfillment center.
4. Make sure it’s Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) if you are shipping air freight.
It sounds easy enough, but there are some problems that can happen.
Shipping directly to Amazon from overseas sounds great in theory, but the overseas supplier must do Amazon FBA prep correctly. Amazon FBA requirements specify exactly how shipments must be prepared in order to be accepted by Amazon warehouses . Shipments that don’t meet Amazon FBA acceptance criteria can be rejected or incur delays and fees. Can you trust an overseas supplier to prep correctly? Are they reliable? Will language barriers be an issue?
If you’re hesitant, that brings us to option 2.
Using a Middleman Hiring a middleman, or 3PL company , to prep goods from overseas so that they meet Amazon FBA acceptance criteria can help you breathe a sigh of relief. There are no language barriers to deal with, and no wasted time trying to explain to an overseas supplier how to follow Amazon’s strict FBA receiving criteria. The risk of late shipments or improperly packaged items is nearly zero.
For many sellers, this is the way to go if you can afford it. Professional Amazon FBA prep services will take care of everything for you. Using a middleman means there won’t be any surprises or mistakes. For sellers that want to save time and get peace of mind, this is your best bet. And if you like the idea of drop-shipping because of its hands-off order fulfillment, but you now want to start selling on Amazon Prime, it will certainly appeal to you.
What's Your Decision Going to Be? When deciding how to ship products from China to Amazon FBA, several options are available. One option is to work with an American prep service company, which can help manage your shipments and provide other logistics services such as packaging and labeling.
Another option is to use a freight forwarder, which specializes in helping businesses ship goods from China to Amazon FBA. This option can be beneficial because it usually involves lower shipping costs, reduced transit times, and access to a wide range of shipping services.
Pros of Shipping Direct to Amazon FBA Direct shipping makes sense when the factory already preps to Amazon's spec and the order is big enough to justify its own booking.
One freight leg instead of two The goods move from the factory to the Amazon fulfillment center in a single booking. There is no second domestic move from a US warehouse to the FC, so the goods skip a receiving step, a carrier handoff, and the days spent at an intermediate stop.
No US-side handling fees Nobody in the US touches the cartons before Amazon does, so you pay no receiving, storage, or prep charges on this side of the water. What you spend is freight, duties, and whatever the factory charges for prep.
Fewer hands on the goods Every extra touch is a chance for a crushed carton or a mislabeled unit. A sealed container that goes from the factory floor to the FC dock has the fewest touches of any route.
Cons of Shipping Direct to Amazon FBA Prep happens at the factory, and mistakes surface at Amazon Amazon stopped prepping seller inventory at its US fulfillment centers on January 1, 2026 , so every unit has to arrive FNSKU labeled, polybagged where required, and boxed to Amazon's inbound packaging rules . When the factory gets that wrong, you find out at the FC, where the outcomes are prep fees, non-compliance charges, or a refused shipment.
No chance to inspect before Amazon receives You never see the goods between the factory and the FC. A short count, a wrong colorway, or a print defect shows up as customer returns, not as a problem you caught at receiving.
The inbound plan may split the shipment across several fulfillment centers If Amazon's inbound plan assigns your goods to more than one FC, the forwarder has to deliver to each of them. That means separate appointments and separate final-mile charges, and it gets more expensive when the goods land far from the assigned centers.
You are explaining Amazon's rules to a factory that does not live by them Carton labels on the right face, pallet labels on four sides, suffocation warnings on polybags: the spec is long and the factory only sees it when your order comes through. A US prep center whose whole job is Amazon compliance reads that spec every day.
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Pros of Shipping to a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Company First Landing the freight at a US prep center adds a stop. What the stop buys you is a look at the goods while there is still time to fix them.
Goods get checked and prepped in the US before Amazon sees them The prep center receives the cartons, counts them, inspects for damage, and applies FNSKU labels, polybags, and bundle stickers to Amazon's current spec. Problems get fixed on a warehouse floor instead of surfacing as a refused shipment at the FC.
Better for small shipments A small or mixed purchase order can land at one US address, get checked, and go out to Amazon in whatever split the inbound plan calls for. Asking a factory to manage several FC destinations for a few pallets is where direct shipping breaks down.
You can hold stock in the US and replenish Amazon in smaller lots Instead of pushing a whole container into FBA at once, you keep a reserve at the prep center and send Amazon what it will sell through. The same shelf can feed your own site and other marketplaces.
No language barrier on the prep instructions Your prep instructions go to a team that reads Amazon's requirements in the original, instead of being translated for a factory that ships to Amazon occasionally.
Cons of Shipping to a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Company First A second domestic leg The freight goes from the port or airport to the prep center, then from the prep center to the FC. Two legs cost more than one and take longer, and the gap is widest when the prep center is far from both the port and the assigned fulfillment centers.
Receiving, prep, and storage fees on top of freight The prep center bills for receiving, per-unit prep, and storage. Those charges buy the inspection and compliance above, but they are a line item that direct shipping does not have.
One more party to coordinate Your forwarder has to hand off cleanly to the prep center, the prep center has to create the Amazon shipment, and the customs paperwork is still yours to supply. Each handoff is a place where a missing document stalls the freight.
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Who Is the Importer of Record, and What Happens at Customs? Whichever route you pick, the goods enter the United States under an importer of record, and the duties bill follows that name. In Amazon's own China-to-US freight programs, the name is yours. Amazon Global Logistics , which moves ocean and air freight from China straight into the Amazon fulfillment network, lists "provide your importer of record (IOR) details, and upload the required documents" as an onboarding step. The program supplies customs brokers to speed clearance; the import identity is still the seller's.
Amazon SEND , the Seller Central booking tool for China-to-US FBA shipments by air or ocean, has its carrier handle "end-to-end shipping from customs clearances through delivery to Amazon fulfillment center", but its shipping estimate "does not include customs duties charged by US customs and other accessorial charges", and you enter the customs clearance information for the shipment yourself. Both Amazon pages were checked on September 17, 2026.
A third-party forwarder quoting DDP (delivered duty paid) is pricing the duty into its rate and arranging clearance for you. Ask the quote to name who is listed as importer of record and who answers if customs holds the shipment, because that is where DDP quotes differ.
Customs clearance means an entry is filed with US Customs and Border Protection, any duties are assessed and paid, and the shipment is released. Only then can the freight move on to the FC or to a prep center. Our guide to what clearing customs means for online sellers walks through the paperwork. If you land the freight at a prep center first, your forwarder or broker clears it and the prep center receives it after release .
Shipping Methods to Ship from China to Amazon FBA There are several different shipping methods that you can use when shipping products from China to Amazon FBA. The most common options include air freight, ocean freight, LTL shipments, and more.
Air freight Air freight is the fastest way to move goods from China to Amazon's US fulfillment centers, and it is also among the most expensive per kilo, because air rates are driven by weight and volume. It earns its cost on light, high-margin, or time-critical stock: a launch order, or a restock that is about to go out of stock. Your forwarder flies the goods to a US airport, clears them, and trucks them the last stretch to the fulfillment center. Anything heavy or unhurried usually goes by sea.
Ocean freight Ocean freight is the workhorse for bulk shipments from China to Amazon FBA. Your goods travel in a full or shared container to a US port, where the container has to clear customs before it goes anywhere. Once the entry is filed and the duties are settled, customs releases the container, a trucker collects it, and it goes to the Amazon fulfillment center or to your prep center. Budget time for the port stop as well as the sailing.
LTL shipments For smaller or lighter shipments, it is possible to use less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping methods when transporting products from China to Amazon FBA. This involves consolidating multiple shipments into a single truck, which can help save on costs and reduce transit times for your goods.
No matter which shipping method you choose, it is essential to carefully consider all the factors involved to ensure that your products are delivered quickly and reliably from China to Amazon FBA.
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How Do I Package and Label the Goods for Shipping to Amazon FBA? When packaging your goods for shipping to Amazon FBA, there are several key factors to keep in mind. These may include preparing your products according to Amazon's specific requirements, ensuring that your shipments are properly labeled and tracked, and selecting a sturdy container or shipment method that can withstand the journey from China to Amazon FBA warehouses.
Check Amazon's product requirements and packaging guidelines before you begin: It is essential to familiarize yourself with Amazon's requirements for packaging and labeling products, as well as any special considerations or regulations that may apply to your items.
Choose a sturdy shipping container: Whether you are using air freight, ocean freight, LTL shipments, or another method of transporting your goods from China to Amazon FBA, it is critical to choose a sturdy and reliable shipping container that can withstand the journey.
Ensure accurate and clear labeling : For your shipments to be successfully delivered from China to Amazon FBA warehouses, it is essential to use clear and precise product labels that include all relevant information about your products. This may include your company name and address, product descriptions, dimensions and weights, shipping instructions, etc.
Following these tips and working with a trusted third-party logistics provider, you can effectively package and ship your products from China to Amazon FBA warehouses. With careful planning and preparation, you can help ensure that your shipments arrive on time and in good condition, minimizing potential damage or delays along the way.
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There is no right or wrong choice Whether you ship directly to Amazon FBA or work with a 3PL company, it is essential to carefully consider the pros and cons of each approach to make the best decision for your business. Ultimately, the choice that is right for you will depend on your individual needs, goals, and budget. However,
Hopefully, you have a better idea of which option appeals to you more. It all depends on your personal preferences, business goals, and how easy it is to work with the overseas supplier. If you want to learn more about Amazon prep services and pricing before making the leap, check out this page .
Why Partner with Simpl Fulfillment? Simpl's part of this route starts after customs. We do not arrange freight out of China, act as importer of record, or clear customs; your forwarder or broker does that. Once the shipment is released, it comes to our warehouse in Austin, Texas. We receive and inspect it, prep it to Amazon's current requirements (FNSKU labels, polybags where required, bundle stickers, carton labels), create the shipping plan, and send it in to Amazon's US fulfillment centers. Since Amazon stopped doing that prep itself in January 2026 , this is the leg where compliance gets decided.
If your factory can ship direct and prep to spec, do that. If you want the goods checked on US soil before Amazon sees them, or you need a reserve to replenish from, land them with us. What the Amazon FBA prep service covers, and what it costs, is on the service page.
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