From the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to Amazon FBA: a step-by-step guide for international sellers
Updated
Most international Amazon sellers who ship across the Pacific land their goods in Los Angeles or Long Beach. What happens between the vessel and the Amazon fulfillment center decides how fast you start selling and how much you pay. This guide walks through every step, and shows how a prep partner near the port keeps your inventory moving.
Why Los Angeles is the gateway to the U.S. market
The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach sit side by side on San Pedro Bay. Together they are the busiest container port complex in the United States, and a large share of everything the country imports from Asia arrives there. Direct vessel services connect them with China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and the rest of Asia, and with routes from Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.
For an Amazon seller, Los Angeles has three more advantages. Southern California is one of the largest consumer markets in the country. Rail and truck routes run from the ports to every U.S. region. And Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) handles large volumes of air cargo when stock is urgent. That is why a warehouse near the ports, rather than one across the country, is usually the fastest route from vessel to Amazon.
The route at a glance
- Terminal Arrival The vessel berths in Los Angeles or Long Beach and the container is discharged.
- Before pickup Customs clearance The entry is filed and released, along with any agency checks.
- Short drive Drayage A truck takes the container from the terminal to the prep warehouse.
- Prep partner Receiving and prep Cartons are counted and inspected, units are labeled, bagged and packed.
- Amazon FBA Delivery to Amazon Cartons or pallets go to the fulfillment centers in your shipment plan.
Every step can be followed in Abanro Workspace.
Step by step
1. Before the goods leave origin
Prepare a commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading, and confirm the HS codes and the importer of record. Agree the prep work with your U.S. partner: which SKUs need FNSKU labels, poly bags, bubble wrap or set labels. Units that are labeled correctly at the factory save time and money in Los Angeles. Our guide to Amazon FBA prep requirements in 2026 lists what Amazon expects.
2. Arrival at the Port of Los Angeles or Long Beach
When the vessel berths, the container is discharged at its terminal. The shipping line sends an arrival notice, and the countdown of free days at the terminal begins.
3. Customs clearance
The customs entry is filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, often before the vessel arrives, and duties are calculated from the HS codes and declared value. Food, cosmetics and some other products also have agency requirements. Once customs and the terminal release the container, it can be picked up. With Abanro, you don't need to find your own broker: we handle customs clearance for you.
4. Drayage from the terminal
A drayage truck collects the container from the terminal and delivers it to the warehouse. Because our facility is in Southern California, this is a short local move rather than a long-haul trip, which keeps costs down and gets your container unloaded sooner.
5. Receiving and inspection
The container is unloaded and the cartons are counted against your packing list. Visible damage is photographed, and any shortage or overage is reported. With Abanro, the receipt is recorded in your Workspace the moment your goods are checked in. More in receiving and inspection.
6. FBA prep and labeling
Units get their FNSKU labels, old barcodes are covered, and items are bagged, bubble wrapped or bundled as Amazon requires. Cartons are packed to Amazon's size and weight limits and labeled for the fulfillment centers in your plan. See Amazon FBA prep.
7. Delivery to Amazon fulfillment centers
Amazon decides which fulfillment centers receive your inventory, often in more than one region. Cartons go by small parcel and pallets by LTL or truckload, booked through Amazon's partnered carrier program or another carrier. Stock that should not go to Amazon yet can wait in storage near the port and be sent in smaller, regular shipments.
8. Tracking and replenishment
Once the first shipment is live, the work becomes a rhythm: replenish Amazon from your buffer stock, fulfill other channels, and plan the next container. Abanro Workspace shows your inventory and shipments 24/7, so every decision is based on live numbers.
Shipping through Los Angeles or Long Beach? We'll quote the whole route from the port to Amazon FBA. We respond within 6 hours.
Get your U.S. logistics quoteFree time at the terminal: the cost most sellers forget
Terminals and shipping lines allow a limited number of free days. After that, demurrage is charged for each extra day a loaded container stays at the terminal, and per diem or detention for each extra day the container is kept away from it. The amounts and free days depend on the line, the terminal and your contract, so check them on your booking.
The fastest way to avoid these charges is a warehouse that is close to the port, ready for your container and able to unload it quickly. That is one of the biggest practical advantages of working with a partner in Southern California.
Shipping by air through LAX
For launches, urgent replenishment and samples, air freight into LAX is often worth the higher rate. Air shipments are cleared at the airport and trucked to the warehouse in the same way, only faster. Many sellers combine both: a first air shipment to start selling, followed by ocean freight for volume. For small first shipments, see how to ship your first 100 products to the USA.
What it costs to get from the port to Amazon
Plan for these cost categories: ocean or air freight; customs duties, taxes and government charges; customs clearance; terminal and drayage charges; receiving; FBA prep and labeling; storage; and outbound shipping to Amazon. At Abanro, standard FBA prep starts at $1.20 per unit and pallet storage at $49 per pallet per month, and your quote lists every service upfront. See our published prices.
Mistakes to avoid
- Sending a container to Amazon unprepped. Amazon can refuse, repackage or return units that are not prepped and labeled correctly.
- Choosing a warehouse far from the port. A long truck trip adds cost and days before your stock is sellable.
- Waiting for the arrival notice to plan pickup. Every day of free time counts.
- Sending all your stock to Amazon at once. Keeping buffer stock near the port lets you replenish quickly and serve other channels.
- Losing track between vendors. Forwarder, broker, trucker and warehouse each see part of the journey. One partner and one dashboard see all of it.
How Abanro handles the route from Los Angeles to Amazon
Abanro is a Los Angeles area 3PL built for international sellers. Our central warehouse is in Orange County, Southern California, near the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach and LAX, and we are connected to a network of warehouses across the United States. We handle customs clearance, receive and inspect your goods, prep and label them for Amazon, store your buffer stock and ship to fulfillment centers, retailers and customers nationwide.
You follow every step in Abanro Workspace, 24/7, and our team is available around the clock. We respond within 6 hours. From international arrival to Amazon FBA, we're with you every step of the way.
Comparing providers? Read 10 problems with traditional U.S. 3PL companies, and for the full plan from any origin, sending inventory to Amazon FBA from overseas.