Welcome to our ultimate guide for SHIPPING to Amazon FBA. 

Lots of business owners like YOU are interested in using FBA shipments. But they don’t know where to start. 

Leeline has spent over 10 years HELPING entrepreneurs like YOU. Let our freight forward company help you become a successful online store. You’ll have thousands of PRODUCTS in Amazon’s warehouse. 

This article teaches YOU everything you need to know about Amazon FBA. Don’t stop reading, or you’ll regret it! 

What is Amazon FBA Fulfillment?

FBA shipment is a service that allows Amazon sellers to outsource order fulfillment. 

With FBA shipment, your products are stocked in Amazon’s warehouses. So, they’re ELIGIBLE for the website’s PRIME shipping plans. And YOUR products also appear at the top of Amazon’s pages. Which RAISES your profit margin.

An Amazon FBA warehouse HANDLES your FBA inventory. YOU don’t need to process any order yourself! You save A LOT of time because each shipping plan for your business is fulfilled by Amazon. 

How can you ship from China to Amazon FBA?

Step 1: Choose the right shipping method.

Other people MAKE the mistake of putting this step last. But YOU really should prioritize choosing the SHIPPING method for your products. 

Because YOU lose a lot of money if you don’t OPTIMIZE the shipment method for your products. 

Doing this FIRST allows you to estimate how long your products will be in transit. And you also get an idea of how much you’ll spend to SHIP your packages to an FBA storage. 

Here are the BEST shipping options from China to FBA warehouses:

• Sea freight.
• Air freight. 
• Express shipping. 
• Land freight (only for Asia and Europe). 

Step 2: Contact freight forwarders in China

Don’t make your supplier SHIP your products. 

Instead, CONTACT freight forwarders that are EXPERTS at shipping packages. 

YOU get a much cheaper rate when you use freight forwarders. And shipping companies USE Amazon’s partnered carriers. Hence, YOU ensure that your products reach Amazon fulfillment centers. 

Step 3: Quality inspection. 

CONTROLLING the quality of your products is VERY IMPORTANT. 

Because YOU don’t need to constantly replenish your inventory. And YOU reduce your Amazon FBA fees. 

You won’t have the chance to INSPECT your products when they reach an FBA fulfillment center. So ask your freight company to INSPECT your products. Because they usually offer this service as well. 

Step 4: Create a new shipping plan.

You can do this process here in Amazon Seller Central easily. 

On this website, you should specify the following: 

• The products you wish to send. 
• The quantity of each model you’re sending to the fulfillment center. 
• Your Amazon FBA shipping method. 

Step 5: Package your goods within the standards of seller central. 

The ONLY thing left to do is PACK your products before shipment. 

Ask your freight forwarder to do these services:

• Print pallet labels.
• Prepare shipping labels. 
• Assign an Amazon barcode to your boxes. 

Note: YOU may also let Amazon’s fulfillment centers do this process for your online store. However, know that China’s freight forwarders have CHEAPER services than Amazon. So you should make your freight forwarder PACK your products to SAVE the most money. 

Step 6: Ship your FBA products. 

You’ve already PREPARED for this process at the beginning. Hence, you can let your shipping company handle this process. 

3 Shipping Methods to Amazon FBA

#1: Air Freight 

Air freight means shipping your packages using an air shipping carrier. 

This is the BEST option if your cargo is within 200-400 KG. 

Air freight is MUCH faster than using ocean freight. With this shipping method, your products ONLY take 5-9 days to reach Amazon’s center. 

However, know that Air freight is USUALLY more expensive than sea freight. It’s not the best option if you’re on a BUDGET. 

#2: Sea Freight 

Sea freight refers to SHIPPING cargo through ocean transport vehicles. 

There are 2 common types of Sea freight:

• Full container load (FCL).
• Less than container load (LCL).
  

FCL means your packages occupy an entire container (minimum 20 feet). While LCL is for packages that don’t FILL a full container. 

Full container load is the shipping option with the LOWEST SHIPPING FEES. It’s very budget-friendly and lets you MAXIMIZE profit. 

However, sea freight takes weeks to months to reach its FINAL DESTINATION. Thus, it’s not the shipping method for you if you want to sell IMMEDIATELY. 

#3: Express shipping 

This shipment method is similar to Air freight. But it’s MUCH FASTER (less than 5 days).

Express shipping is IDEAL for products that weigh less than 200KG. And it’s the BEST shipping method if you want to start FBA shipping ASAP. 

However, know that Express shipping comes at a PREMIUM price. This is the MOST EXPENSIVE shipping method. 

That’s why you should only use Express shipping if:

• You’re selling fragile goods or electronics. These products are expensive, so you should use express shipping to ensure they’re SAFE. Their small size MINIMIZES your shipping fees. 
• You’re out of FBA stock. Use express shipping if you have NO products left in Amazon’s warehouse. This is the FASTEST way to replenish your FBA inventory. 

How Much Does Amazon FBA cost?

Amazon FBA costs vary DEPENDING on the product you’re selling. But ALL Amazon FBA sellers need to pay an FBA fulfillment fee per item they sell using the service. 

Bigger and HEAVIER packages cost more than smaller cargo.

For example, you get charged $2.92 for every SMALL PRODUCT (less than 6 oz) that YOU sell using Amazon’s FBA. 

But this price can reach more than $100 if your product is heavier than 150 lb.

How do FBA freight forwarders charge for their services?

FBA freight forwarders charge YOU as other forwarding companies do. 

The TOTAL COST depends on these several factors:

#1: Payment for the carrier.

Your carrier is the company that transports your product from one country to another. And they take up a HUGE CHUNK of the price you pay your freight forwarder.

How much the carrier charges YOU depend on the shipping method you want to use.

As mentioned, Sea freights are USUALLY THE CHEAPEST. So, opt for ocean shipping if you want to SAVE the most money.

Note: Various carriers CHARGE differently. Some are WAY more expensive because they’re popular. So ensure that YOU communicate with your freight forwarder what your priorities are. Whether that’s time efficiency or SAVING MORE MONEY. 

#2: Type of product

What you want to ship ALSO greatly affects your freight forwarder’s charge. 

SOME products, like hazardous and FRAGILE items, require HIGHER shipping costs. Because they require CAREFUL handling. And they must be separated from other cargo to ENSURE their safety. 

#3: Size and weight of the cargo 

ALL transport vehicles have limited space and weight capacity. So, BIGGER and heavier products cost more to ship. 

Most carriers CHARGE you based on your cargo’s WEIGHT or SIZE (whichever is higher).

That’s why SMALL PACKAGES are much cheaper to ship. 

#4: Packing services 

Your freight forwarder CHARGES MORE if you use their packing services. 

Most suppliers don’t pack or wrap your products themselves. And they deliver your products without boxes or protective wraps. 

Your freight forwarder is the ONE that prepares your cargo for shipping. This INCREASES your forwarder’s CHARGE depending on the quality of materials used. 

#5: Insurance 

Accidents may happen during transport.

Hence, freight forwarders offer CARGO INSURANCE. This way, you get REIMBURSED for damaged or missing products. 

This is optional. But you should use this service to get MAXIMUM protection for your cargo. 

#6: Documentation costs 

ALL your products require EXPORT and IMPORT documents. 

How much these papers COST depends on the type of products you’re shipping. And their final destination. 

Your freight forwarder usually handles these documents. That said, their CHARGE may differ depending on this factor. 

3 Ways to save FBA Shipping costs

#1: Ship your products in bulk.

MULTIPLE shipments MEAN constantly paying freight forwarders as well. 

Your BEST option is to SHIP your FBA products simultaneously. Use the FCL ocean shipping method to SAVE THE MOST MONEY. Because this is the cheapest option. 

#2: Record your cargo’s dimensions accurately. 

The bigger your product is, the MORE you pay. 

That said, YOU should never OVERESTIMATE the dimensions of your packages. Many factors rely on your cargo’s SIZE. That includes your carrier’s charge and YOUR import documentation. 

Hence, ALWAYS record the accurate dimensions of your package. 

#3: Make freight forwarders pack your FBA cargo. 

Amazon CHARGES way more than forwarding companies do.

You should get your products packed by Freight Forwarders like Leeline instead. You SAVE up to 50% of the product packing costs. 

Delivery time for Shipping from China to Amazon FBA

Shipping Destination	Air Freight	Sea Freight
USA	5-10 working days	15-20 working days
Canada	5-10 working days	20-25 working days
Australia	7-10 working days	15-20 working days
European	7-10 working days	20-28 working days
Singapore	2-5 working days	7-10 working days
Japan	2-5 working days	7-10 working days

Shipping restrictions/notes

Note 1: These goods aren’t accepted by Amazon FBA:

• Liquid
• Powder
• Food
• Medicine
• Tobacco and alcohol 
• E-cigarettes
• Flammables and explosive 
• Currency 
• Sealed packaging 

Note 2: The minimum charge weight per carton is 12KG. 

FAQ about Shipping to Amazon FBA

What’s Next

Shipping to AMAZON FBA is much easier than you think.

All you need is a RELIABLE and trusted freight forwarder. And YOU ship your products to Amazon with LITTLE to no stress.

This process is EXTREMELY WORTH IT. Especially if you’re a NEW Amazon seller. Because YOUR buyers get your products much faster. YOU easily EARN loyal customers. 

If you need DIRECT help shipping to Amazon FBA, don’t hesitate to CONTACT us. 

We are the MOST affordable freight forwarder in China. With 10 years of experience and HUNDREDS of SATISFIED clients.