Shipping to Amazon FBA from China as a small seller
Amazon FBA · Updated
Amazon FBA sellers importing small batches from China face two layers at once: US customs and Amazon's own intake rules. Getting either wrong stalls your inventory.
As of January 1, 2026, Amazon ended all in-warehouse prep and labeling services in the US. Goods that arrive non-compliant are now rejected and returned at your expense, not fixed in the warehouse for a fee. Here is how small-seller FBA freight from China works under the new rules.
Key takeaways
- --Amazon ended all in-warehouse prep and labeling services in the US as of January 1, 2026.
- --Non-compliant FBA shipments are now rejected and returned at the seller's expense, not corrected in-warehouse.
- --US customs must be cleared before goods can move to an FBA warehouse; Amazon does not act as importer of record.
- --FNSKU labels must be applied to each sellable unit before the shipment reaches the FBA warehouse.
- --Routing through a US prep step that verifies compliance before forwarding to FBA is the primary risk-control point.
- --Bundling freight, customs, and the FBA-compliant handoff into one managed flow is simpler than coordinating three vendors.
Customs comes first, Amazon second
Your goods clear US customs as a normal import: commercial invoice, HS code, duty, and a customs entry. Amazon is not the importer of record and will not clear customs for you. Only after the goods are cleared can they go to an FBA warehouse.
FBA prep and labeling: now entirely your responsibility
Before January 2026, Amazon offered in-warehouse prep services: applying FNSKU labels, poly bagging, and basic packaging corrections, for a fee. That option is gone. Since January 1, 2026, every unit must arrive at the FBA warehouse fully prepped and compliant. Non-compliant shipments are refused and returned.
- FNSKU labels on each sellable unit, applied before the goods reach the warehouse.
- Carton and shipment labels generated from your Amazon shipping plan.
- Poly bagging, bubble wrap, and bundling completed before shipment, per Amazon's product-specific rules.
- Box weight and dimension limits respected.
The practical consequence: prep must happen either at the China supplier, at a third-party prep center after US customs clearance, or as part of a freight flow that includes a prep step before forwarding to FBA.
Why direct-to-warehouse is rarely simple
Suppliers in China can apply FNSKU labels, but they cannot create your Amazon shipment plan, they cannot guarantee full compliance with Amazon's current rules, and customs clearance still has to happen on US soil before goods can move to FBA.
Many small sellers route through a US prep step: the freight forwarder or a prep center clears customs, verifies and completes labeling and packaging, then forwards compliant cartons to FBA. With Amazon no longer correcting non-compliant units, this step is now the primary risk-control point in the chain.
For a small load, bundling freight, customs, and the FBA-compliant handoff into one managed flow is usually simpler and cheaper than coordinating three vendors yourself.
FAQ
Can I ship straight from my China supplier to an Amazon FBA warehouse?
Not directly in most cases. The goods must clear US customs first, Amazon is not your importer of record. They must also meet Amazon's labeling and packaging rules. Since January 2026, Amazon no longer corrects non-compliant units in-warehouse, so most small sellers route through a US prep step that clears customs and verifies compliance before forwarding to FBA.
Did Amazon stop doing FBA prep?
Yes. As of January 1, 2026, Amazon ended all in-warehouse prep and labeling services in the US, including FNSKU application, poly bagging, and bundling. Non-compliant shipments are now rejected and returned at the seller's expense, not corrected for a fee.
Who handles customs for an FBA shipment from China?
You do, as the importer of record, usually through a customs broker. Amazon does not clear customs. A forwarder that includes brokerage handles the entry and duty so the cleared goods can move on to FBA.
What labeling does Amazon require?
Each sellable unit needs an FNSKU label applied before it reaches the warehouse. Cartons need shipment labels from your Amazon shipping plan. There are product-specific rules on poly bagging, bubble wrap, and bundling. Since January 2026, anything non-compliant is refused, not fixed in-warehouse.
What are the import duty and tariff implications for FBA sellers importing from China?
FBA sellers importing goods from China are subject to the same import duties as any other importer. This includes both the standard Most Favored Nation tariff rate and any applicable Section 301 tariffs on Chinese-origin goods, which can add 25 to 145 percent on top of the base rate for many product categories. As the importer of record, you are responsible for paying these duties even though Amazon is the delivery destination. Building the full duty amount into your landed cost calculation before ordering is essential to confirming that your FBA margin is viable at the actual total cost.
How do I create a shipment plan for FBA goods coming from China?
You create the FBA shipment plan in Seller Central, which generates the carton labels and specifies the destination warehouse or warehouses Amazon assigns. This must be done before your goods are packed and labeled, because the carton labels and FNSKU placement are based on the plan details. Coordinate the shipment plan creation with your freight forwarder's timeline so that the labels and packaging are complete before the goods are ready for the FBA prep step in the US.
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