How to send inventory to Amazon FBA from overseas
Updated
Selling on Amazon US from outside the country means getting your goods across an ocean, through U.S. customs, prepped to Amazon's rules and into the right fulfillment centers. Here is the route most international sellers follow, and where each party fits.
The route at a glance
Factory → ocean or air freight → U.S. port (for most Asian freight to the West Coast, Los Angeles or Long Beach) → customs clearance → prep center → Amazon fulfillment centers. Each arrow is a handoff, and most problems happen at the handoffs.
1. Set up listings and labels
Create your listings in Seller Central and decide, per SKU, whether it needs an Amazon barcode (FNSKU) or can use the manufacturer barcode. Download the label files. If your prep partner applies labels in the U.S., send them the files; if your factory applies them, check a sample before the full run. See FBA prep requirements in 2026.
2. Book freight to the U.S.
Your freight forwarder books the ocean (or air) freight and arranges pickup at origin. Tell them the U.S. delivery address is your prep center, not Amazon, so the goods can be received and prepped first. For West Coast delivery, freight usually arrives at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach; see prep near the ports.
3. Clear U.S. customs
Every import needs a customs entry filed by a licensed customs broker, and an importer of record. A company outside the U.S. can usually act as its own importer of record through a broker. Food, cosmetics and some other categories have extra FDA filings at import, which the importer and broker handle. Abanro is not a broker; we coordinate with yours or one we work with.
4. Receive and inspect in the U.S.
When the goods arrive, the prep center counts them against your packing list and checks for damage. This is your chance to catch short shipments and carrier damage before Amazon does. See receiving and inspection.
5. Prep to Amazon's rules
Labels, bags with suffocation warnings, bubble wrap for fragile items, set labels for bundles, and cartons within Amazon's limits. Since 2026 Amazon won't do this for you. See Amazon FBA prep.
6. Ship to fulfillment centers
Create the shipment in Seller Central with the prep center's address as the ship-from, then the prep center packs, labels and ships cartons or pallets to the fulfillment centers in your plan. Stock that doesn't fit Amazon's capacity can wait in storage.
Why not ship straight to Amazon?
You can, but only if every unit leaves the factory perfectly prepped and labeled, and you accept that nobody will see the goods between the factory and the fulfillment center. A U.S. prep step gives you an inspection point, a place to fix problems, buffer stock in the U.S., and the option to send part of the import to other channels.
What it costs
Budget for freight, customs broker fees, duties and taxes, delivery from the port, prep, storage and shipping to Amazon, plus Amazon's own fees. Abanro publishes starting prices for prep, receiving, storage and forwarding; standard prep starts at $1.20 a unit with the FNSKU label and a standard poly bag included where appropriate.