As an entrepreneur or startup looking to grow through e-commerce, Amazon FBA is one of the most powerful business models available today. However, if you’re sourcing products from China and want those products to be in Amazon’s warehouses, as a first-time seller/supplier, this can be pretty confusing. Customs, preparation, labeling, shipping method, everything seems kind of a nightmare. In this blog, I will take you through how to ship to Amazon FBA from China with a stress free guide.
What is FBA in Amazon?
Amazon FBA( Fulfillment By Amazon) is a service that Amazon provides to enable third party users to store their products in an Amazon fulfillment center until the product is sold. Then the Amazon facility packs, stores, fulfills, and renders customer service for the product. In short, it works as follows, you sell, send the product to Amazon, and Amazon ships it to customers. This form of distribution is particularly favorable to start-up companies, small businesses, and the like.
Key Features of FBA:
- Your products are available for Amazon’s fast shipping.
- Amazon handles logistics
- Amazon deals with your customer
- All the returns and refunds are processed by Amazon
How to ship to Amazon FBA from China
Getting the right knowledge on shipping your products can be a breakthrough for your business. Authentic knowledge and minor details about the shipping process are essential. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to ship to Amazon FBA from China:
1. Find a Trusted Supplier
You need a supplier to supply your goods from you to the shipping company. The supplier is the company or factory that supplies and manufactures your product. This is the foundation of your business.
Why it matters:
A bad supplier can ruin the brand with cheap, low-quality products. Frequent delays in supplying necessary products and handling payments can slow down business. While a good supplier will make the work easier. From preparing your goods for Amazon and ensuring long term stability, suppliers play a key role in it. Kingsler can be your trusted China sourcing agent, as they help Amazon sellers source products, inspect quality, and prepare inventory for FBA.
2. Create a Shipping Plan
This plan is essential for delivering products to Amazon. Without a proper shipping plan, your products can’t be shipped. You create a proper shipping plan and enter product details. By entering product details, Amazon assigns you the warehouse destination. Amazon informs you about the labels required for verification and shipping.
Follow a few steps to create a shipping plan:
- Log in to Seller Central
- Visit into Inventory and Send to Amazon option
- Create a new shipment
- Enter your product quantity, information, size, etc.
After these steps, Amazon provides you with barcodes(product level) and box labels. After the necessary verification, Amazon assigns you an FBA warehouse address. If you want to make shipping from China to Amazon FBA, check out Kingsler.
3. Print and Apply FNSKU and Box Labels
After creating a shipping plan and entering product details, you get FNSKU and box labels to attach to your products. Without these, Amazon will reject your shipped products. FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit) labels should be attached to each product, while the box labels should be attached to every box. The required labels should be sent to the supplier and prep center, and checked if the FNSKU is clear and scannable. The box labels should be kept on two opposite sides of each carton.
4. Select a Shipping Method
Next, you will select how to ship your goods from China to Amazon. You will want to select the shipping option that best works for you, depending on your need of inventory needs and shipment size. If you want to skip all that workload, connect with Kingsler. We provide every facility from logistics to shipping.
5. Hire a Freight Forwarder
Freight forwarders act as your shipping manager. Freight forwarders will arrange for the pick-up from your supplier, arrange customer paperwork, book available cargo space, schedule the final delivery to Amazon, and overall try to make international shipping as simple as possible. Kingsler is a trusted product sourcing company offering services like Amazon FBA, logistics services, dropshipping services, etc.
6. Get Your Shipping Documents Ready
With every international shipment comes various shipping documents. They include a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading (or airway bill), and your box labels from Amazon. These documents are necessary for customs inspection and verification, as well as for Amazon’s record-keeping and tracking requirements. In most cases, your freight forwarder or supplier will prepare the documents.
7. Customs Clearance
Once your shipment arrives in the country of destination, customs clearance must be effected. The customs officials will examine the shipping documents, determine whether taxes and duties are required, and, of course, whether your goods may indeed be introduced into the country. An Importer of Record (IOR) must be present. The trusted service provider, like Kingsler, provides you with all facilities, including clearing customs.
8. Final Delivery to Amazon FBA Warehouse
After clearing customs and/or border control, the freight forwarder will book the final delivery of your goods to the designated Amazon fulfillment center. After Amazon receives and scans your shipment, your inventory will be available for sale in Seller Central. Trusted service provider Kingsler should be your go to place for any query related to how to ship to Amazon FBA from China.
9. Inventory Management and Reordering
Now that you are selling your product, your job is to manage your inventory. You will have to keep track of the current stock in Amazon and also ship in the correct amounts to avoid out of stocks. This can be especially troublesome when using ocean freight, which can take several weeks.
Conclusion
When you truly get all the steps on how to bring your goods from your supplier, through customs clearance, and into a warehouse, it soon becomes a fast and efficient process to repeat. So if you are just starting and looking to broaden your business and want to avoid all of the logistics and headaches with freight forwarding, then perhaps it is good to give a full-service sourcing and shipping partner, Kingsler, a thought. They can help you manage everything from negotiated terms with factories to FBA preparation and ship to Amazon FBA from China, giving you more time to develop your brand.
Want to cut shipping costs to FBA? Find out the cheapest way to ship to Amazon FBA.
FAQs on How to Ship to Amazon FBA from China
Can I track my shipment once it is sent?
Yes, most freight forwarders give people their tracking numbers or update them through their dashboard.
What is an FNSKU and why do I need one?
An FNSKU is Amazon’s unique barcode for your product. Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit lets Amazon track the products and inventory inside its warehouse.
Do people have to pay taxes while importing from China?
Yes, there are taxes and duties for customs based on the product. A freight forwarder can calculate these fees if necessary.
Is there a trusted service provider to ship to Amazon FBA from China?
Kingsler is one of the most trusted service providers that looks after shipment, logistics, customs, etc.
Is Kingsler a good option for beginners?
Yes, Kingsler is a very good choice for beginners. It provides full service, from shipment to customs in one go.