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AustraliaAmazon FBA Shipping from China — from your supplier to the fulfillment center Amazon assigns.
FBA freight forwarding from China — supplier pickup, DDP freight, customs and delivery to the fulfillment center.
Get a Free QuoteSupplier Pickup & Consolidation
Collected from one or several factories in China and combined into a single FBA shipment.
DDP Freight, Duties Included
Export, import clearance and duties handled under one agreed all-in price.
Receiving Appointment Booked
We book the delivery slot and deliver to the fulfillment center Amazon assigns.
Replenishment on a Schedule
Monthly or seasonal shipments planned around your restock windows and peak season.
Quick Answer: Amazon FBA from China — Costs & Delivery Times
Amazon FBA shipping from China is door-to-door freight forwarding for Amazon sellers: we collect the goods from your supplier in China, ship by air or sea, clear customs and deliver to the fulfillment center Amazon assigns to your shipment. Typical door-to-FC transit is 2–7 days by express courier, 7–12 days by DDP air and 25–40 days by sea. Reference all-in rates start around $7.57/kg by DDP air (+100 kg) and $1.28/kg by DDP sea (+300 kg) to the USA, or $376/CBM by LCL from Shanghai to Los Angeles.
Your final rate depends on carton count and CBM, the pickup city, the destination marketplace and fulfillment center, the shipping season and how the duties are handled. Since 1 January 2026 Amazon no longer labels, bags or bundles inventory in the US, so FBA-ready units have to leave China prepped. Send us your carton data, shipment ID and destination FC and we will quote the whole chain as soon as possible.
What Is Amazon FBA Shipping from China?
FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) means Amazon stores your stock, picks, packs and ships it to your customers. FBA shipping is the part before that: moving inventory from your supplier in China into Amazon’s fulfillment network so it can be scanned, received and made available for sale.
As your freight forwarder we handle the transport chain from factory to fulfillment center:
- Pickup from your supplier anywhere in China, or delivery into our Shenzhen and Shanghai export warehouses
- Carton counts, weights and dimensions checked against your packing list before export
- Consolidation of stock from several suppliers into one shipment
- Export clearance in China plus air, sea or express booking on a confirmed schedule
- Import customs clearance and duties under DDP, on the terms we agree in writing
- Delivery appointment booked and delivery to the fulfillment center Amazon assigns
- Proof of delivery and receiving confirmation sent back to you
This service suits four situations in practice: a first shipment where you want the whole chain quoted before you commit; recurring replenishment where stock has to land before you run out; a supplier mix where several factories feed one shipment plan; and a switch away from a US 3PL or from small parcel drops.
One boundary is worth stating clearly: we are a freight forwarder, not a preparation centre. Unit-level work — FNSKU labels, poly bags, kitting — is done at your factory or by a preparation provider at origin before the cargo reaches us for export. What we do is check the basics at receiving and tell you early when a carton does not look FBA-compliant, because a defect found in China costs far less than a rejected shipment in the destination country.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
What Changed in 2026 — Amazon No Longer Preps Your Inventory
Effective 1 January 2026, Amazon stopped offering prep and item labelling services in the US. FNSKU labelling, poly bagging, bubble wrapping, bundling and kitting are no longer available through FBA, Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD), Amazon Global Logistics (AGL) or Amazon SEND. Amazon’s own seller help page states it plainly: you are responsible for applying any required Amazon barcodes.
The effect is that a job which used to sit inside Amazon’s network now sits inside your supply chain. Units have to arrive at the fulfillment center fully prepared; shipments that do not meet the requirements are returned at the seller’s expense, or charged as inbound defects and unplanned services. Sellers who already made factory-side labelling and retail-ready packaging a purchase order term were the least affected — which is also the cheapest place to fix it.
The second change explains why so many sellers moved from sending parcels to sending consolidated air and sea shipments. Once the duty-free channel closed, an all-in shipment into FBA became both cheaper and simpler than the parcel route. Our DDP terms keep freight, clearance, duties and delivery inside one quoted price, so the landed cost per unit is known before the cargo sails.
| What changed | Before 2026 | Since 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Unit prep at Amazon | Amazon relabelled, bagged and bundled non-compliant units for a per-unit fee; labelling was $0.55 per unit | No longer offered — prep has to be completed before the cargo leaves China |
| Non-compliant cartons | Amazon fixed the problem at the fulfillment center for a fee | Returned at your expense, or charged per defective unit |
| Low-value parcels | Shipments under the $800 de minimis threshold entered the US duty-free | The exemption has been suspended for all origins since 29 August 2025 and codified by CBP in June 2026 — a formal or informal entry applies at every value |
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Getting Units FBA-Ready Before They Leave China
FBA-ready means four things are true before the cartons leave your factory:
- Every unit carries a scannable FNSKU label — or a manufacturer barcode, if you are a Brand Registry seller using virtual tracking
- Poly bags are transparent, completely sealed, at least 1.5 mil thick, and carry a suffocation warning when the opening measures 5 inches or more
- Every carton carries the Amazon box label and box-content information from your shipment plan, placed on a flat surface rather than across a seam or over tape
- Cartons sit inside Amazon’s size and weight rules, which are listed in the checklist further down this page
Preparation is usually cheapest at origin. Published rates at US preparation centres commonly run from about $0.50 to $3.00 per unit depending on the task, while the same work at the factory or at a China-based preparation provider costs a fraction of that and removes a handling step from the journey. Whichever route you choose, the labels themselves have to be generated in Seller Central from your own account — nobody else can print your shipment’s FNSKU or box labels for you.
When your cargo arrives at our warehouse we check counts, carton condition and whether the shipment data matches the cartons in front of us. If something will not pass receiving — a missing warning label, an overweight carton, a barcode that will not scan through the bag — you hear about it before the vessel sails, while it is still cheap to correct.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Shipping Methods to Amazon FBA
Four options cover almost every FBA shipment from China. In practice the decision is a deadline question first and a cost question second.
Air and sea are rarely an either-or choice. Sellers facing a Q4 stockout usually move part of a shipment to air and send the rest by sea — the extra cost on part of the volume is easier to accept than a listing that goes out of stock.
| Method | Best for | Door-to-FC transit | Reference cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express courier | Samples, first test units and urgent restocks under about 10 kg | 2–7 days | Contract rates typically 30–70% below public courier prices | DHL, FedEx, UPS and Aramex; billed on the higher of actual or volumetric weight |
| DDP air freight | Launch stock and replenishment from about 50 kg | 7–12 days | From $7.57/kg (+100 kg) to the USA | Duties and clearance included under DDP terms |
| Sea freight LCL | Planned replenishment from 1 CBM, including mixed supplier stock | 25–40 days | From $1.28/kg (+300 kg), or $376/CBM Shanghai to Los Angeles | Consolidation at origin; destination delivery fee applies under DDP |
| Sea freight FCL | Full-season stock from about 20 CBM and up | 17–38 days port-to-port | 20ft from $880; 40ft from $2,185 Shanghai to Los Angeles | Clearance and delivery quoted per container; rail ramp delivery available inland |
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
FBA Shipping Rates from China (Q3 2026 Reference Rates)
These are the reference rates we publish in mid-September 2026 for the routes FBA sellers use most. Treat them as a planning baseline rather than a price list: every rate is validated at booking against the space, equipment and trucking actually confirmed for your shipment.
| Route | Mode | Reference rate | Door-to-FC transit | What is included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China → US West Coast FCs | DDP air | From $7.57/kg (+100 kg) | 7–12 days | Pickup, export clearance, import clearance, duties per agreed terms, FC delivery |
| China → US East & Texas FCs | DDP air | From $8.29/kg (+22 kg) | 8–14 days | Pickup, export clearance, import clearance, duties per agreed terms, FC delivery |
| China → USA, nationwide | DDP sea | From $1.28/kg (+300 kg) | 30–40 days | Freight and clearance included; destination delivery fee added |
| Shanghai → Los Angeles | Sea LCL | $376/CBM | 17–35 days port-to-port | Port-to-port only; customs and final delivery quoted separately |
| Ningbo → New York | Sea LCL | $442/CBM | 25–35 days port-to-port | Port-to-port only; customs and final delivery quoted separately |
| China → United Kingdom | DDP sea | LCL $150–250/CBM | 32–42 days | UK clearance via CDS and 20% VAT handled under DDP terms |
| China → Germany | DDP sea | LCL $140–230/CBM | 28–40 days | German clearance via ATLAS and 19% import VAT handled under DDP terms |
| China → Canada | DDP sea | LCL $350–460/CBM | 35–45 days | Canadian clearance and GST/duties per agreement |
| China → Australia | DDP air | From $7/kg (Oceania band) | 4–7 days | GST and DAFF biosecurity checks handled under DDP terms |
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
How We Ship to Amazon FBA — Step by Step
1. Create the shipment in Seller Central — Amazon assigns the destination fulfillment center or centers and issues the FNSKU labels, box labels and shipment ID.
2. Send us the shipment details — carton count, weights and dimensions, pickup city, destination FC, product type and your deadline.
3. Supplier pickup — we collect from your factory anywhere in China, or your supplier delivers into our Shenzhen or Shanghai export warehouse.
4. Receiving check — we count cartons, check their condition and compare the shipment data against what is on the floor, and flag anything that will not pass receiving.
5. Consolidation — cargo from several suppliers is combined into one shipment, with cartons labelled to your Amazon shipment ID.
6. Export clearance in China — export declaration, commercial invoice and packing list prepared by our team.
7. Main transport — air or sea booking on the confirmed schedule; for US shipments the ISF is filed at least 24 hours before the vessel departs.
8. Import clearance — under DDP we clear the entry and handle duties per the agreed terms; under DAP we work with your own broker.
9. Delivery appointment — we book the receiving appointment for the assigned fulfillment center and deliver the cargo as cartons or pallets within the window.
10. Proof of delivery — POD and receiving confirmation are sent to you so you can follow check-in in Seller Central.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Amazon Inbound Requirements Checklist
Amazon publishes the numbers behind every rejection. These are the ones that decide whether an FBA shipment is received on the first scan, and what we look at before export.
| Requirement | What Amazon expects | What we do about it |
|---|---|---|
| Unit labels | A scannable FNSKU on every unit, or a manufacturer barcode for eligible Brand Registry sellers using virtual tracking | Placement checked at receiving; old labels must be covered so the wrong barcode cannot be read |
| Poly bags | Transparent, completely sealed, at least 1.5 mil, with a suffocation warning on any bag whose opening is 5 inches or more | Flagged at our receiving check before the cargo leaves China |
| Carton weight | Maximum 50 lb / 23 kg per box unless it contains a single oversize unit; Team Lift above 50 lb and Mech Lift above 100 lb | Cartons weighed and measured at consolidation; overweight boxes reported to you before export |
| Carton dimensions | No side longer than 25 in / 63.5 cm unless a single unit itself exceeds that; minimum carton size 6 x 4 x 1 in | Measured against your Amazon shipment data |
| Box labels | Amazon box label and box-content information on every carton, on a flat surface rather than across a seam or over tape | Printed from your shipment plan and applied before export |
| Palletised loads | Wooden 40 x 48 in GMA grade B or higher, four-way access, maximum 72 in high including the pallet, gross weight up to 1,500 lb, clear stretch wrap, labels on all four sides | Pallets are built at origin to these specifications; if your supplier cannot palletise, tell us and it is arranged at the warehouse |
| Container loads | Internal container height of at least 90 in; 20 GP, 40 GP, 40 HQ and 45 HQ equipment is accepted | Standard equipment booked for FCL shipments; heavier density loads checked against container weight limits |
| Receiving appointment | Delivery inside the booked appointment window for the fulfillment center Amazon assigns | Appointment booked and trucking scheduled so the load arrives inside the window, not at the edge of it |
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Delivery to the Fulfillment Center — Appointments and Split Shipments
Amazon decides where your inventory goes when you create the shipment plan, and it often splits one plan across several fulfillment centers. That is normal, and it changes the trucking side of your quote more than the ocean or air side.
- One destination or several — we quote each fulfillment center separately, because four stops in the same state are not the same load as two stops 1,200 miles apart.
- Placement options — Amazon’s inbound placement service lets you pay for fewer splits; we show what that costs against the trucking you save.
- Appointment windows — delivery has to land inside the booked slot. Missed windows mean the load comes back, or waits for the next slot, at your expense.
- Multi-marketplace sellers — the same workflow runs to the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada and Australia, each with its own clearance and appointment rules.
- Proof of delivery — after delivery you receive the POD and can track receiving in Seller Central; we follow up on check-in questions on your behalf.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
DDP vs DAP for FBA — Who Is the Importer of Record
For most FBA sellers, DDP is the simpler structure: we clear the entry, pay the duties per the agreed terms and deliver to the fulfillment center, so the price you agree is the price you pay. On the US lane we clear as the Importer of Record under our own customs structure; on the UK lane we clear under our UK EORI. That is what makes an all-in number possible.
It is worth being precise about what DDP does and does not do. DDP changes who arranges and pays the entry — it does not remove the legal fact that a customs entry exists and that a named importer is accountable for it. Amazon is never the importer of record for FBA inventory and will not pay duties or accept collect charges on your behalf. So if a forwarder quotes DDP but cannot tell you who the importer of record is, the structure is not complete.
On larger container volumes, and for sellers who already hold their own entity, customs bond and broker, DAP or FOB can be the better answer: you keep visibility of the entry, the classification and the duty you actually paid, in exchange for handling clearance yourself. We quote both ways and tell you which one fits your volume rather than which one is more convenient for us.
Whatever structure you choose, these are the questions worth asking any forwarder before you book:
- What is the named destination — a port, a warehouse or the Amazon fulfillment center itself?
- Who is the importer of record, and under whose bond is the entry filed?
- What is excluded — exams, demurrage, detention, storage, redelivery, additional fulfillment centers?
- Is the receiving appointment included, and who pays if the load misses the window?
- Can you provide the entry documentation, such as the CBP entry summary, after clearance?
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Common Reasons FBA Shipments Get Rejected
Almost every rejection traces back to one of a short list of problems — and all of them are cheaper to fix in China than at the fulfillment center door.
- Missing or unreadable FNSKU labels, or an old supplier barcode still visible underneath
- Cartons over 50 lb or over 25 inches on a side without a single oversize unit inside
- Poly bags without a suffocation warning, or bags under 1.5 mil
- Box-content information that does not match what is actually packed
- Labels placed across a seam or over tape, so they cannot be scanned without cutting the carton
- Damaged, wet or previously used cartons that do not survive transit
- Late or missing ISF filing on US ocean shipments, which can trigger penalties on top of the delay
- Pallets over 72 inches high, over 1,500 lb, or without labels on all four sides
Our receiving check exists to catch these before export. When something can only be fixed at the fulfillment center it is no longer a packing problem, it is a receiving delay with your stock sitting outside the network while it is sorted out.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Amazon Global Logistics vs an Independent Forwarder
Amazon Global Logistics offers door-to-door ocean and air options for some marketplaces, and its integration with Seller Central is genuinely convenient — shipments created there keep their data in one place.
An independent forwarder becomes the better fit when your shipment needs something outside that standard flow: consolidating stock from several suppliers before it ships, an all-in DDP price with duties settled on your behalf, palletised loads bound for a specific fulfillment center, a marketplace or lane that is not covered, or a recurring monthly programme rather than a one-off booking.
If your shipments are simple, repetitive and fit the standard offer, AGL is worth comparing on price — we would rather you compared than guessed. Where most sellers end up with a forwarder is the mix of suppliers, markets and deadlines that a single standard lane cannot absorb.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Peak Season — Plan FBA Replenishment Backwards
FBA planning works backwards from the date you need stock available for sale, not forward from the date you book. In the final quarter, every step takes longer than it does in spring.
- Amazon’s receiving network is busiest from October to December; storage rates also rise in that window, so early arrivals are not automatically cheap arrivals.
- Ocean peak surcharges typically add $300–$1,000 per container between September and December.
- Inland trucking to fulfillment centers is the first link to slow down, and the appointment calendar is the reason.
- Chinese New Year closes factories for roughly two weeks and squeezes space before and after it — book January replenishment in December.
- Small, frequent air shipments beat one large late sea shipment when a listing is close to running out.
The practical sequence we recommend: confirm the restock date, subtract the door-to-FC transit for the mode you are considering, subtract your supplier’s production and packing time, and then decide whether the remaining window is a sea window or an air window. Tell us the date the stock has to be available and we will tell you which mode still fits it.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Amazon FBA to top destinations
Check reference rates and local know-how for the routes this service covers best.
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