Shipping Into Amazon FBA US from China
The US is the deepest FBA market and the least forgiving about carton-level compliance. This guide covers what every carton, pallet and delivery must satisfy before a US fulfillment center will accept it — and how to route freight so the inventory actually arrives when planned.
To inbound into a US FC from China you need: scannable FNSKU labels on every unit (or an approved manufacturer-barcode exemption), a shipment carton ID label on every box, cartons within the weight and size thresholds Amazon publishes, compliant prep where your category requires it, and a booked delivery appointment. Everything else — which port, which channel, which FC — is a routing decision driven by your shipment plan. Amazon updates inbound rules regularly: treat Seller Central as the source of truth.
US Inward Basics: What Every Carton Must Satisfy
These are the carton-level rules US receiving teams enforce most consistently. Confirm current values in Seller Central help before each shipment — thresholds have changed before and can change again.
| Requirement | Commonly Documented Rule | What Breaks It |
|---|---|---|
| Unit label (FNSKU) | Every sellable unit needs a scannable FNSKU label unless the listing is approved for manufacturer-barcode tracking. | Thermal labels printed light, applied over curve or seam, old barcodes left visible. |
| Carton ID (box label) | Each carton in a shipment carries its own scannable shipment carton ID label on a flat face, not across a seam or opening. | One label reused on every box, or the label placed over the tape line and torn at opening. |
| Carton weight | Standard boxes stay at or under 50 lb (22.6 kg); heavier boxes require a Team Lift label, and very heavy single items ship as their own carton. | Dense products packed to the carton brim with no weight check at loading. |
| Carton size | Cartons over 25 inches on any side need the oversized-box handling label. | Assuming the rule applies to the longest side only — it is any side. |
| Pallet (palletized deliveries) | 48 x 40 inch four-way GMA-grade wooden pallets, stacked within the published height cap, stretch-wrapped, no overhang. | Mixed pallet decks, cartons bridging past the pallet edge, loose wrap that sheds in drayage. |
| Delivery appointment | LTL, FTL and palletized deliveries require a scheduled FC appointment via the carrier appointment system. | Trucks rolling to the gate without a slot — turned away at the driver's cost. |
Channel Choice and Gateway Matching
| Channel | Indicative Door-to-FC Time | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Air express / dedicated air | Around 3–7 business days | Stockout rescue, new ASIN seeding, light test batches. |
| Fast ocean (Matson-style express loops) | Around 12–18 calendar days to West/Central FCs | Hero SKUs where ocean economics matter but stockouts cannot be tolerated. |
| Standard ocean + rail/drayage | Around 22–35 calendar days door | Baseline replenishment planned a quarter ahead. |
Ranges are indicative planning figures, not commitments — every sailing is quoted and confirmed per shipment. Gateway logic matters as much as speed: West FCs pair with Long Beach or Oakland arrivals, while Central and East FCs favor Houston, Savannah or New York entries with inland rail.
US-Specific Watchpoints
- Someone must own the import entry — Amazon is never the importer of record for FBA stock.
- US entry rules for low-value imports have been changing rapidly — never build an FBA import plan around de-minimis relief; check current CBP guidance and formal-entry duty rates for your HS code.
- Peak-season FC appointment calendars tighten dramatically from October — pre-book slots before vessels load.
- FDA-regulated, battery-laden and children's products draw extra documentation requests at entry — prep the file before sailing.
What Gets US Shipments Rejected
- Unscannable or missing carton IDs — the single most common gate failure, and entirely preventable at labeling.
- Cartons over the weight or size thresholds without the required handling labels.
- Mixed-SKU cartons when the shipment plan assumes single-SKU cases — a factory packing habit that surfaces at FC receiving.
- Pallet build defects: overhang, double-stacked non-uniform decks, wrap failure.
- Prep omissions the listing requires — polybagging, suffocation warnings, expiration dating.
- No appointment, or an appointment booked for a different FC than the one on the carton labels.
Full failure map and prevention checklist: why FCs reject shipments.
Prep and Labeling Details That Travel Well
- Print FNSKU labels at genuine thermal-printer quality; laser stock on curved surfaces is a scannability gamble.
- When relabeling, fully cover the old barcode — a readable ghost barcode under the FNSKU confuses unit-level scans.
- Polybags with an opening of about 5 inches (roughly 12.7 cm) or wider require the suffocation warning, printed on the bag or applied as a label — confirm the current threshold in Amazon's prep guidance.
- Case-packed goods must match the case-quantity declared in the shipment plan exactly — off-by-one cases stall receiving.
- Ship with cartons oriented label-face-out on the pallet face, so receiving can scan without re-handling.
Deep-dive: Amazon FBA labeling rules and the prep requirements checklist.
US Inbound FAQ
Does Amazon act as importer of record for my FBA goods?
No. Amazon receives your inventory but is not the importer of record. You (or your customs broker acting for you) clear the goods on entry. DDP-style forwarder arrangements exist precisely because someone must own the import declaration, duties and taxes before a truck can book an FC appointment.
Do I need a pallet for a small LCL shipment?
Small parcel and small LCL consignments move as floor-loaded or boxed freight, and palletization rules mainly bite on FTL/palletized deliveries. If your shipment plan assigns you palletized receiving, the pallet must meet the 48 x 40 inch, four-way-entry spec — confirm the current receiving type in Seller Central before loading.
Which US gateway should my sea shipment enter?
Match the ocean port to your FC assignment geography: Long Beach or Oakland for West FCs like ONT8, LGB8 and SMF3; Houston or Savannah plus inland rail for Central and East FCs like FTW1 and CLT2. Entering the wrong coast adds a week or more of drayage — check your shipment plan's warehouse assignment first, then book the sailing.
How much advance notice does an FC appointment need?
Appointment availability varies by FC, season and carrier. During peak season the calendar tightens weeks ahead, which is why we pre-book Carrier Central slots before vessels even load. Treat the appointment as a hard dependency of the plan, not a formality after arrival.
Shipping to Other Amazon Marketplaces?
Get a US FBA Shipping QuoteLast reviewed: September 2026 · Amazon inbound rules, thresholds and appointment systems change; always verify against Seller Central help for your account before shipping.