Shipping from china to amazon fba: Your Quick Guide to Smooth Logistics

Getting your products from a factory in China all the way to an Amazon FBA warehouse can feel like a huge, complicated puzzle. Let's be honest—it's one of the most daunting parts of running an FBA business.

But here’s the thing: mastering this supply chain is what separates a thriving brand from one that’s constantly battling stockouts or watching profits disappear into surprise fees. It's a journey filled with real-world challenges, from crazy shipping rates and unpredictable delays to a mountain of customs paperwork.

This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step. We'll cover everything from coordinating with your supplier to the moment your inventory is checked in at Amazon.

Here's a high-level look at the path your products will take:

This process—getting goods from the factory, through international transit, and into an Amazon fulfillment center—is a sequence every single FBA seller has to get right.

The New Reality of International Shipping

The days of cheap, predictable shipping are long gone. Today's sellers have to plan for a world where logistics are constantly being disrupted. According to a recent analysis by Freightos, “volatility is the new normal in global freight.” Navigating this new normal is absolutely critical.

Shipping delays have become a massive headache for FBA businesses. Jungle Scout reports the average delay for shipments out of China has jumped by 37% compared to a few years ago, tacking on an average of 23 extra days to the journey. I've seen real-world scenarios, like a shipment from Shenzhen getting rerouted through Malaysia to finally reach Seattle, stretching timelines to 28-40 days.

This means you have to be meticulous with your inventory planning. Building in a buffer of 4-6 extra weeks of stock, especially for the crucial Q4 season, is no longer optional. If you want to dive deeper, you can learn more about these shipping delay findings and how to adjust your strategy.

A proactive approach to logistics isn't just a “nice-to-have” anymore—it's a core business function. As noted by Supply Chain Dive, building extra time and money into your plan is the best insurance policy you can have against stockouts and losing sales velocity.

Your Primary Shipping Choices

When it comes down to it, you have three main ways to get your products from China to Amazon FBA. Each one is a classic trade-off between speed and cost, a concept well-documented by logistics experts like the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).

To make the initial decision a bit easier, here’s a quick comparison of your main options.

Shipping Methods From China at a Glance

This table gives you a starting point, but let's break down when and why you'd choose each one.

• Express Courier: Think DHL, FedEx, or UPS. This is your fastest and simplest route, offering door-to-door service in about 5-10 days. It’s perfect for tiny, lightweight shipments or for that emergency restock to avoid going out of stock. The downside? It's by far the most expensive.

• Air Freight: This is the happy medium between express and sea. Air freight is much faster than an ocean voyage but more expensive. As Flexport data shows, it's a strategic move for high-value, low-volume goods or for new product launches where getting to market quickly is a top priority.

• Sea Freight: For most established FBA sellers, this is the workhorse. It’s the most budget-friendly option for bulk shipments, but it's also the slowest. You have to plan around its 30-45+ day transit time, which demands some serious foresight.

Setting Up Your Products for FBA Success in China

Before your inventory even thinks about hitting the water, the real make-or-break work happens right there at the factory. I can't stress this enough: product prep is not a step you can rush or overlook. Getting this part wrong is a recipe for disaster—I'm talking about costly delays, unexpected prep fees from Amazon, or even having your entire shipment rejected at the warehouse door, as frequently documented in Amazon's Seller Forums.

Honestly, it all boils down to clear communication with your supplier. You need to provide exact, non-negotiable specs for how every single unit is packaged. This isn't about being a micromanager; it's just standard operating procedure for any serious seller.

Mastering Product and Carton Prep

Your supplier needs a detailed instruction manual from you, and I’ve found that a bilingual document (English and Mandarin) works best. This should lay out every requirement for packaging materials, labeling, and how cartons should be packed. Think of it as the blueprint for your inventory.

These details are what will protect your goods on their long journey and ensure they meet Amazon's notoriously strict receiving standards.

• Poly Bags: Any poly bag with an opening of 5 inches or more absolutely must have a suffocation warning printed on it, per Amazon's official FBA prep guidelines. Spell this out for your supplier. I also like to specify the bag thickness (e.g., 1.5 mil) to make sure it feels premium and doesn't rip during transit.

• Bubble Wrap: If your item is even remotely fragile, don't just ask for bubble wrap. Demand that each unit is individually wrapped and can survive a 3-foot drop test onto a hard surface without breaking. This is a standard test used by quality control agencies like QIMA. It's a simple test that can save you a fortune in damaged goods.

• Carton Specifications: Be crystal clear about your master cartons. They should be under 50 lbs and have no side longer than 25 inches. This is how you avoid Amazon's hefty overweight and oversized penalties, as detailed in the Seller Central help pages. Also, always insist on new, sturdy, double-walled corrugated boxes. No flimsy, recycled junk.

The FNSKU Labeling Process

For almost every private label seller, using an Amazon-generated FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit) is a must. This unique barcode ties every unit back to your specific seller account. It’s what stops your high-quality inventory from getting mixed in with some other seller's cheap, counterfeit knock-offs. If you want to go deeper on building your own brand, check out our guide to Amazon FBA private label selling.

Getting the FNSKUs right is a critical step. You'll generate them directly from your FBA shipment plan in Seller Central.

1. First, create a “mock” shipment plan just to get the FNSKU labels.
2. Download the labels as a PDF file.
3. Email that PDF to your supplier with explicit instructions: one label must be applied to the final packaging of every single unit. It has to be easily scannable and cover up any other barcodes on the package.

Pro Tip: I almost never recommend relying on a manufacturer's barcode (like a UPC or EAN). Unless you are the registered brand owner through Amazon's Brand Registry, it's just not worth the risk. FNSKUs are your best defense for protecting your inventory and your brand's reputation.

Why a Third-Party Inspection Is Your Best Insurance

No matter how great your relationship with a supplier is, you should never ship a full production run from China without a third-party inspection. Think of it as your insurance policy against getting a container full of duds. An inspector is literally your eyes and ears on the factory floor, a point emphasized by sourcing experts like Manuel Becvar of the ImportDojo.

For a pretty small fee, usually around $200-$300, an inspection company will go to the factory and perform a detailed check based on your specific criteria.

Key Inspection Checks:

• Quantity Verification: They'll count the units and cartons to make sure you're getting what you paid for.
• Visual Inspection: This is where they check for cosmetic defects, wrong colors, or messed-up logos.
• Product Functionality: They will actually test your product to confirm it works correctly.
• Packaging & Labeling: This is huge. They'll verify that your supplier followed all your packaging and FNSKU instructions to the letter.

A proper inspection report gives you all the leverage. If the inspector finds problems, you can go back to the supplier and demand they fix everything before you send that final payment. Skipping this step is hands-down one of the most expensive mistakes you can make when shipping from China to Amazon FBA, and it can quickly turn a profitable order into a complete write-off.

Choosing Your Shipping Strategy: Air vs. Sea

Deciding between air and sea freight is one of the biggest calls you'll make when shipping from China to Amazon FBA. A lot of people boil it down to a simple “speed vs. cost” debate, but honestly, it's way more nuanced than that.

A smart shipping strategy isn't about picking one method and sticking to it forever. It's about building a flexible, blended approach that actually serves your business—your product, your cash flow, and your inventory levels. The right choice can even shift based on things like trade policy. I remember in mid-2025 when a surprise 90-day tariff reduction came out. A lot of sellers I know rushed to expedite orders via air to take advantage of that savings window, a move that seriously boosted their margins.

When Air Freight Is a Smart Investment

Think of air freight as your secret weapon for speed and agility. Yes, it's more expensive per kilogram, but it becomes a powerful tool in high-stakes situations where time is literally more valuable than money. Don't see it as your routine shipping method; see it as a strategic investment.

Its main draw is slashing transit time from over a month down to just 8-15 days. This speed is a game-changer in a few key scenarios:

• Product Launches: Getting those first sales and reviews is everything for a new product. You can air freight a small first batch to go live weeks faster, start building sales velocity, and climb the rankings while your main sea shipment is still on the water.
• Preventing a Stockout: Running out of stock is an FBA seller's worst nightmare. According to e-commerce analytics firm Marketplace Pulse, stockouts can cause irreversible damage to a product's sales rank. If you see your inventory dropping faster than you planned, a small, targeted air shipment can bridge the gap, keep your listing active, and protect your hard-earned sales rank.
• Testing New Products: Not sure if a new color or style will sell? Instead of tying up thousands of dollars in a massive sea shipment, just air freight a small test batch of 100-200 units. This lets you validate demand before you commit to a huge order.

Air freight should be viewed as a tactical tool for speed-to-market and risk management. It’s the perfect solution for launching, testing, or saving a listing from a stockout, allowing you to react quickly to market changes.

Mastering Sea Freight: LCL vs. FCL

For the vast majority of your inventory replenishment, sea freight is the economic backbone of your FBA business. It's hands-down the most cost-effective way to move bulk goods, but you have to plan around its long 30-45+ day lead time.

Within sea freight, you've got two main choices: LCL and FCL.

• LCL (Less than Container Load): Your goods share space in a container with stuff from other importers. This is the go-to for smaller shipments, usually anything under 15 cubic meters (CBM).
• FCL (Full Container Load): You rent an entire container (typically a 20-foot or 40-foot) just for your products.

So, when do you make the jump from LCL to FCL? While paying for a full container seems more expensive upfront, it actually becomes cheaper on a per-unit basis once your shipment gets big enough.

The break-even point usually lands somewhere between 13 to 15 CBM. If your shipment is in that ballpark, get quotes for both LCL and a 20-foot FCL container. You'll often find that the full container is not only cheaper but also comes with other perks—less handling means a lower risk of damage, and your goods get processed faster at the port because they don't need to be sorted from everyone else's. I always recommend having a customs expert analyze this to pinpoint the exact break-even point for your specific products.

Building a Hybrid Shipping Model

Here's the real pro-tip: the most successful FBA sellers don't choose between air and sea. They use both. A hybrid or “blended” shipping strategy gives you the best of both worlds—the low cost of sea freight for your core inventory and the speed of air freight when you need it.

Let me walk you through a real-world scenario.

You're reordering 3,000 units of your best-selling product. Instead of shipping all 3,000 by sea and biting your nails for 40 days, you split the shipment. You air freight 500 units to restock your inventory in about two weeks, making sure you don't sell out and kill your momentum.

The remaining 2,500 units travel by sea, arriving a few weeks later to fully replenish your stock at a much lower cost.

This is the key to maintaining consistent stock levels without having all your capital tied up in inventory that's just floating on an ocean for over a month. As many FBA consultants advise, it optimizes your cash flow, crushes your stockout risk, and keeps your FBA business running like a well-oiled machine.

Finding and Partnering With the Right Freight Forwarder

Your freight forwarder is so much more than just a logistics company; they're your most critical partner when you're shipping from China to Amazon FBA. I like to think of them as my team on the ground—the ones who make sure my inventory gets from the factory floor all the way into Amazon’s fulfillment network without a hitch.

Choosing the right one will simplify your business immensely. But picking the wrong one? That’s a fast track to a nightmare of delays, surprise fees, and constant headaches.

The secret is finding a forwarder who genuinely specializes in Amazon FBA. I can't stress this enough. A lot of them will say they can handle it, but a general forwarder is a world away from an FBA specialist. A generalist might get your goods to the port, but an FBA pro understands Amazon's entire, often frustrating, system—especially their strict delivery appointment process.

Decoding Key Shipping Incoterms

Before you can even get a quote, you’ve got to speak the language of international shipping. That language is Incoterms. These are standardized trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) that spell out exactly who is responsible for what—you or your supplier. If you get this wrong, you could be on the hook for major unexpected costs.

Here are the three you absolutely have to know:

• EXW (Ex Works): With this one, your responsibility starts the second your goods leave the factory floor. You (or more likely, your forwarder) are in charge of everything from that point on: local trucking in China, export customs, the main shipment, import customs, and final delivery.

• FOB (Free On Board): This is a super common one. Your supplier handles getting the goods to the origin port and loading them onto the ship or plane. Once they're “on board,” it's all on you. You’re managing the main international shipping leg and everything that follows.

• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): This is the holy grail for most Amazon sellers, and it’s what I almost always recommend. DDP is the most hands-off option. Your forwarder manages the entire journey from the factory to the Amazon warehouse, including all customs, duties, and taxes.

For sellers focused on building a brand, DDP shipping is a no-brainer. It takes the logistical nightmare off your plate and rolls everything into a single, all-in landed cost. This makes it way easier to calculate your true profit margins. It's the closest thing to a “set it and forget it” solution in the world of FBA logistics.

How to Vet an FBA Freight Forwarder

Finding a great forwarder isn't about luck; it's a vetting process. Never, ever go with the first quote you get. I make it a rule to reach out to at least three different companies that specifically advertise their FBA services. This lets you compare not just their prices, but also how responsive and knowledgeable they are.

When you reach out, have a list of questions ready. Their answers will tell you everything you need to know.

Critical Questions to Ask a Potential Forwarder:

1. Do you have direct experience with Amazon FBA shipments? This is a deal-breaker. If the answer is anything but a confident “yes,” walk away.
2. Can you provide a full DDP quote? You want to ensure there are no hidden fees lurking around the corner.
3. How do you handle customs clearance and paying the tariffs? A good forwarder will have a seamless, battle-tested process for this.
4. Are you familiar with Amazon's delivery appointment system (CARP)? Mishandling this is one of the fastest ways to get your shipment rejected by Amazon.
5. What’s your process for that final-mile delivery to the FBA warehouse? They should have established relationships with Amazon-approved carriers.

A huge red flag is a vague quote that doesn't break down the costs. A true professional will give you a transparent, itemized breakdown of all charges—freight, customs, duties, and final delivery. Another warning sign is if they stumble over your FBA-specific questions. If they sound unsure, find someone else. Your business is too important to trust to an amateur.

Navigating Customs Paperwork and Tariffs

Let's talk about the part of the process that makes a lot of Amazon sellers sweat: customs clearance. Honestly, it's not as scary as it sounds. Once you get the hang of the basic documents and rules, it’s completely manageable.

Getting your paperwork straight is the difference between a smooth delivery and a shipment stuck in limbo, racking up storage fees while you wait.

The whole system is built on one simple idea: declaring exactly what you're importing, what it's worth, and where it came from. Your freight forwarder will be the one physically submitting the forms, but as stated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), it's 100% your job as the importer of record to give them accurate information.

The Essential Documents for Customs Clearance

Two key documents are the foundation of any international shipment: the Commercial Invoice and the Packing List. These two pieces of paper tell customs officers everything they need to know.

• Commercial Invoice: This is the main document used to figure out the duties and taxes you owe. Think of it as the official bill of sale for the goods. It has to include the seller's and buyer's info, a detailed description of every product, the quantity, price per unit, and the total value.

• Packing List: While the invoice is all about the money, the packing list covers the physical details. It breaks down the number of cartons, the weight and dimensions of each one, and the total volume and weight of the whole shipment.

These two documents must match perfectly. Any discrepancy, like a different carton count or a mismatched value, is a massive red flag for customs and a fast track to getting your shipment inspected and delayed. It's also critical that your invoice is legit; Amazon has its own standards, which you can learn about in our guide on how to properly validate suppliers for Amazon.

Pro Tip: I always have my supplier send me drafts of the commercial invoice and packing list before anything ships. I personally review every single line to catch mistakes, especially in the product descriptions and values. Never assume they got it right.

Finding Your Product’s HS Code

The magic key to finding the right duty rate for your product is the Harmonized System (HS) code. This is a global, standardized system for classifying products, used by customs authorities everywhere. Every single product has a specific code, and finding the correct one is non-negotiable.

Using the wrong HS code can mean you pay the wrong tariff rate. You might overpay, or even worse, underpay and get hit with fines later. A good freight forwarder can help you out here, but you can also look it up yourself on the official U.S. International Trade Commission's Harmonized Tariff Schedule website. Just be super specific when describing your product to nail down the right code.

To make sure your shipping from China goes off without a hitch, it's crucial to understand how to vet and choose the right Freight Forwarder for Amazon FBA. They are an invaluable partner in confirming things like HS codes.

Demystifying US-China Tariffs and Landed Cost

You can't calculate your true cost of goods until you factor in tariffs. For sellers shipping from China to Amazon FBA, this has become a really complex and expensive part of the game, especially with the Section 301 tariffs. These are extra duties slapped on a huge range of products coming from China.

These tariffs are added on top of the regular customs duty and can seriously eat into your profits. You absolutely must know your product's HS code to see which, if any, Section 301 tariffs apply. They aren't a flat rate; they vary wildly by product.

The whole US-China tariff situation has been a major story in the FBA world. A recent truce extension kept some rates capped at 30%, saving us from potential highs of over 80%. But big changes are coming: the duty-free de minimis exemption for Chinese shipments is ending on November 1, 2025. This will expose all shipments to tariffs between 30-54%. These policies have already squeezed private label margins by 15-25% in some quarters, and it's forced about 20% of sellers to look for new suppliers, according to industry reports.

If you're smart, you'll model tariffs at a 25-40% baseline in your financial planning.

At the end of the day, what you need to figure out is your landed cost per unit. This number is the total cost to get one single unit of your product from the factory floor to an Amazon warehouse, ready to sell.

Landed Cost Calculation
Product Cost + Shipping Cost + Customs Duties + Tariffs + Prep Fees = Total Landed Cost

Knowing this number isn't optional. It’s the only way you can accurately set your price, understand your real profit margins, and make smart decisions for your business.

Managing the Final Mile to an Amazon Warehouse

This is where all your careful preparation finally pays off. After weeks, or even months, of waiting, your inventory has landed in the country, cleared customs, and is sitting at your freight forwarder’s warehouse. Now it’s time for the final leg of the journey.

This “final mile” delivery to an Amazon fulfillment center is a critical stage, and it’s managed entirely within your Amazon Seller Central account.

Creating Your FBA Shipment Plan

First things first, you have to tell Amazon what's coming. You do this by creating an FBA shipment plan inside Seller Central using the “Send to Amazon” workflow. Think of this as a digital blueprint that details every product, every quantity, and every box you’re sending. Nailing this step is absolutely essential for a smooth check-in process at the warehouse.

One of the first, and most important, choices you'll make is whether you’re shipping individual products or case-packed products.

• Individual Products: This is your go-to for boxes with mixed SKUs. Picture a carton holding 10 red widgets and 15 blue widgets—that's a perfect example.
• Case-Packed Products: This option is for master cartons where every single box contains the exact same product and quantity. For instance, a shipment of boxes each containing 24 units of the same black garlic press.

Don’t just guess here. Choosing the wrong packing type is a classic mistake that almost guarantees receiving errors, frustrating delays, and inventory counts that are completely out of whack for weeks. For a complete walkthrough, we break it all down in our guide on how to create and print Amazon FBA labels.

Once you provide all the box content information, including dimensions and weights, Seller Central will generate your FBA box labels. These aren't just any stickers; they contain unique barcodes that link each physical box to your specific shipment plan. They're how Amazon’s warehouse team knows the inventory belongs to you.

You'll need to download these labels as a PDF and get them over to your freight forwarder right away. They will apply one FBA label to each carton before it ever leaves their warehouse for the final delivery.

Coordinating Final Delivery and Tracking

Now, how do you actually get your boxes from the forwarder's warehouse to Amazon? You can't just have them show up. Amazon runs a tight ship with a strict, appointment-based system, and only approved carriers can even get a time slot.

This is precisely where an FBA-savvy freight forwarder proves their worth. An experienced forwarder knows the drill and will use Amazon's Carrier Central portal to book the required delivery appointment. I've seen sellers get stuck for weeks because their forwarder was clueless about this process, leading to massive delays and even rejected shipments.

To make sure everything goes off without a hitch, it's also helpful to understand the ins and outs of efficient last-mile carrier tracking. After your forwarder hands the shipment off, they’ll give you tracking numbers. You can use these to follow your inventory’s progress right up to the fulfillment center doors, giving you peace of mind until you see those units scanned in and available for sale.

Your Top Shipping Questions, Answered

When you're first getting started with importing, the whole process can feel a little overwhelming. Let's tackle some of the most common questions I hear from sellers about getting their products from China to an FBA warehouse.

How Much Does It Cost to Ship From China to Amazon FBA?

This is the million-dollar question, and the honest answer is: it depends. Costs can swing wildly based on whether you choose sea or air, the weight and volume of your shipment, and what the market rates look like at that exact moment.

As a rough ballpark, and referencing current market data from indices like the Drewry World Container Index, you can expect sea freight to run somewhere between $2 to $5 per kilogram. Air freight is significantly more, usually in the $6 to $12+ per kilogram range. Always, always get a detailed DDP quote. This will give you your true landed cost, which bundles shipping, customs, and final delivery into one price.

What Is the Best Incoterm to Use?

For the vast majority of Amazon sellers, especially if you're new to this, DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) is the way to go. It’s the closest thing to a “set it and forget it” option.

With DDP, your freight forwarder handles every single step, from the factory floor in China to the Amazon warehouse dock, including all the customs paperwork and duties. While an option like FOB (Free on Board) might look cheaper on paper, it dumps a mountain of logistical responsibility on your shoulders the second your goods are on the ship.

How Do I Find a Reliable Freight Forwarder?

Finding a great logistics partner is non-negotiable. Start by looking for forwarders who specifically advertise their “Amazon FBA” expertise—this tells you they understand Amazon's notoriously strict delivery and labeling rules.

Get quotes from at least three different companies. Don't be afraid to ask for references from other Amazon sellers and dig through reviews on freight-focused forums. A good forwarder won't just move your boxes; they’ll be a crucial partner in making sure your inventory actually gets checked in without a hitch.

A reliable forwarder is a non-negotiable partner. Their expertise in navigating customs and Amazon's delivery system is what protects your shipment from costly delays and rejections at the warehouse door.

How Long Does Shipping From China Take?

Transit times are a moving target, so you need to plan ahead. As a general rule of thumb, budget around 30-45 days for standard sea freight and 8-15 days for air freight.

Remember, that timeline isn't just the time on the water or in the air. It includes getting your products from the factory to the port in China, clearing customs on both ends, and the final truck journey to the FBA facility. I always recommend building a 2-3 week buffer into your inventory planning to account for unexpected delays, a strategy echoed by top FBA coaches and mentors.

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