How to Ship From China to Amazon FBA: A Step-by-Step Guide

The process in 8 steps

1. Create your shipment plan in Seller Central.
2. Agree prep and labeling requirements with your supplier.
3. Choose how the goods will travel: sea, air, or a mix.
4. Book a carrier or forwarder.
5. Get the goods prepped, labeled and inspected.
6. Ship and clear customs.
7. Book the delivery appointment at the fulfillment center.
8. Track the check-in and fix any problems.

Step 1: Create your shipment plan

In Seller Central, use the “Send to Amazon” workflow. Choose the products and quantities, and Amazon will tell you which fulfillment centers to send them to. This can mean splitting one order across several destinations, so tell your forwarder early.

Step 2: Prep and label correctly

• FNSKU labels on every unit unless you use Amazon’s own labeling.
• Poly-bagging with suffocation warnings where required.
• Carton labels on each box with the shipment ID.
• Cartons that follow Amazon’s size and weight limits (generally no more than 50 lb or about 23 kg per carton unless a heavy-item exception applies).

Mislabeled or poorly prepped units are the most common reason for a rejected or delayed check-in. Our Amazon FBA prep service labels and prepares units to Amazon’s current requirements before they ship.

Step 3: Choose sea freight or air freight

Many sellers send a first batch by air and follow with sea freight to keep costs down.

Step 4: Choose who ships it

• An independent freight forwarder collects from your supplier, handles customs and delivers to the fulfillment center. This is flexible and often the simplest if you have several suppliers.
• Amazon’s own inbound programs are an option for some sellers, but they come with their own rules and limits.
• Express couriers suit small, urgent batches but get expensive for larger volumes.

Step 5: Inspect before the goods leave China

A problem found in China costs far less than one found at the fulfillment center. A pre-shipment inspection checks the units, labels, barcodes and cartons against your listing. If you are still choosing suppliers, read how to verify an Alibaba supplier.

Step 6: Ship and clear customs

You will need a commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading, plus a customs bond and ISF filing for sea freight into the USA. Duty depends on the product’s HTS code. See our guide on how to calculate US import duty. With DDP shipping, your forwarder pays duties and delivers for one all-in price.

Step 7: Book the delivery appointment

Amazon fulfillment centers require delivery appointments for most freight. Your forwarder books the slot, trucks the goods from the port or airport and delivers on time. Missed appointments can mean storage fees or re-delivery charges.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Ordering before checking duty and tariffs.
• Wrong or missing FNSKU labels.
• Oversized or overweight cartons.
• Not splitting shipments to match Amazon’s fulfillment center assignments.
• Skipping inspection on a first order.