Amazon FBA Freight Forwarder for Importers Shipping to the US
An Amazon FBA freight forwarder gets your freight to the FBA warehouse, and that is where most teams hit friction. Containers sit at origin while ISF runs late. The freight lands at a US terminal before anyone has filed the customs entry. Pallets show up at the FBA gate with no appointment and get turned away. Each gap adds days and demurrage while your FBA stock runs down.
For Amazon sellers importing into the US, Platton ships each FBA replenishment by ocean or air on live rates and books the delivery appointment at the FBA warehouse.
Why importers choose Platton for Amazon FBA shipping
Platton gives Amazon sellers two things that keep FBA stock on schedule.
Live FBA rate comparison across modes
Ocean FCL, LCL and air freight rates for the same FBA shipment show up together, each with its transit time and total cost to the FBA warehouse. Picking the right mode for a replenishment cycle becomes a one-screen call.
Real-time milestones on every FBA shipment
Each FBA shipment is tracked up to its delivery appointment at the Amazon warehouse. Word of a rolled vessel or a container held for examination reaches your inbox the same day. Not the day the FBA stockout starts to bite.
How Platton ships your freight to Amazon FBA
Here is what happens between quote acceptance and gate-in at the FBA warehouse.
International ocean or air freight
Once the booking is in, the rate locks and live milestones start appearing in the dashboard.
Customs release at the US port
The customs entry is filed before US arrival.
Last-mile delivery to the Amazon FBA warehouse
With drayage added: Drayage carrier pick the container up at the terminal inside free time. If a transload or pallet rework is needed, that happens at our warehouse before the FBA leg starts. The truck rolls under the booked appointment, with paperwork that lines up with what the warehouse gate is going to scan.
Appointment scheduling and BOL handling
Every FTL or LTL delivery to FBA needs an appointment. We book it, handle rescheduling if Amazon shifts the slot, and put the Amazon PO number, FBA shipment ID, and appointment time on the bill of lading. The driver shows up at the gate with paperwork that matches the dock lookup the receiver pulls up on screen. Refusals at the warehouse gate go to zero.
Amazon's inbound plan can assign one shipment to several FBA warehouses, and each of them then needs its own delivery, appointment, and bill of lading. Sending everything to a single location instead carries Amazon's inbound placement fee; the FBA guide for importers weighs the two options.
Shipping modes we use for Amazon FBA inbound freight
We book FBA shipments across ocean and air. Which mode fits depends on the lane, the volume, the replenishment cycle, and how aggressive the FBA cutoff is. The right mode is whatever lands stock on shelf without paying for transit time you do not need.
Ocean FCL to Amazon FBA
Default once volume passes about 13 to 15 cbm
Full container load is the default once volume passes roughly 13 to 15 cbm. The container is sealed at origin and stays sealed until gate-in at the FBA warehouse. With a transload, the seal comes off at our warehouse instead. Best fit for steady replenishment, large SKU runs, and any shipment where contamination or temperature risk has to stay at zero.
Ocean LCL to Amazon FBA
For shipments under about 13 to 15 cbm
Less than container load is the right call for shipments under about 13 to 15 cbm. Cargo gets consolidated with other shippers' freight at the origin CFS, deconsolidated at destination, then palletized for the FBA leg. It is slower than FCL, but you get to ship economically without sitting on inventory waiting to fill a container. The FCL vs LCL guide has the numbers for cargo close to that line.
Air freight to Amazon FBA
5 to 8 day transits on most Asia to US lanes
Air freight runs 5 to 8 day transits on most lanes between Asia and US FBA warehouses. The use cases are predictable: new product launches, an ASIN running short, a Q4 or Prime Day cutoff that ocean transit can no longer hit, peak season scrambles. We book general cargo air and express air depending on weight and density.
What is included in our Amazon FBA freight service
Ocean FCL, LCL, or air freight to a US port or airport of entry
ISF (10+2) filing on ocean shipments
US customs entry
FBA delivery appointment booking and rescheduling
Bill of lading with the Amazon PO number, FBA shipment ID, and appointment time
Shipment status in your dashboard until the FBA warehouse receives the freight
Add what the FBA shipment needs:
- Origin pickup at the supplier and export handling
- Amazon FBA prep before the delivery appointment
- Drayage from the US port to our warehouse, prep facility, or directly to the FBA warehouse
- Cargo insurance for FBA inventory on the water or in the air
- Door-to-door shipping and full-cycle management under one point of contact
Amazon FBA shipping costs and what affects them
Amazon FBA shipping costs sit in three layers: international freight, US customs and last-mile, and Amazon's own seller-side fees (storage, fulfillment, referral). The third is set by Amazon's fee schedule and your inventory turnover, but a forwarder who lands stock on time has a direct effect on how much long-term storage exposure you carry.
Cost factors that move your quote
Origin and destination port. Mode (FCL, LCL, air). Total weight, volume, pallet count. Sailing date relative to peak season, which on Asia lanes runs June through October. Commodity, because hazardous or restricted SKUs carry higher rates. Incoterm. On top of those: bunker adjustments, peak season surcharges, chassis fees, FBA appointment lead time, and pallet rework when cartons are not Amazon-ready.
Together, those line items are the 15 to 20 percent of total cost that disappears into accessorials when nobody is tracking them line by line.
How we quote your Amazon FBA shipment
Send the origin port, the destination FBA warehouse code (FTW1, ONT8, GYR2, and so on), mode, ready date, total weight and cbm, commodity, HTS code if you have it, and incoterm. Add the carton and pallet count, and the Amazon shipment ID if the inbound plan already exists. The quote shows origin charges, the ocean or air leg, drayage, and FBA delivery one by one.
Freight forwarder vs Amazon FBA prep service: how the roles differ
An Amazon FBA prep service takes cartons in at a warehouse in the US, opens them, applies FNSKU labels, polybags or bundles units, and sends the prepped product into the FBA network. A freight forwarder is the one moving the goods to that prep warehouse, or straight to the FBA gate when prep happens at origin. Platton offers both as separate services: FBA prep for the unit work, and FBA shipping for the freight.
Amazon FBA lanes we cover
Most of our FBA volume moves out of China, but we book on every major lane into US FBA warehouses. The other main FBA lanes are Vietnam, India, and Europe. Times below are vessel or flight transit; origin handling, customs release, and the FBA delivery appointment add days on top. Major US destinations include the Los Angeles / Long Beach port complex.
China 
FBA
China to Amazon FBA
Origin ports include Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen (Yantian, Shekou), Qingdao, Xiamen, and Tianjin.
Ocean FCL runs 14 to 18 days into West Coast FBA (ONT8, LGB8, GYR2), 28 to 35 days into East Coast FBA (CHA1, LGA8, JFK8). Standard air freight is 5 to 8 days.
Vietnam FBA
Vietnam to Amazon FBA
Origin ports include Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai), Haiphong, and Cai Mep.
Sailings from Vietnam reach West Coast FBA in 12 to 24 days at sea and East Coast FBA in 28 to 40 days. The lane has been growing fast as apparel, footwear, and furniture importers diversify away from China-only sourcing.
India FBA
India to Amazon FBA
Origin ports include Mundra, Nhava Sheva (Mumbai), and Chennai.
Ocean FCL is 22 to 34 days into East Coast FBA via Suez, or 22 to 32 days into the West Coast via Singapore or Colombo transshipment. A solid lane for textiles, home goods, and pharmaceutical inputs.
Germany / EU FBA
Germany and EU to Amazon FBA
Origin ports include Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, and Antwerp.
Ocean FCL is 8 to 18 days into East Coast FBA, 25 to 30 days into the West Coast. Air freight runs 2 to 5 days. EU manufacturers use this route to reach US Amazon buyers without standing up a US warehouse of their own.
Industries we serve with Amazon FBA freight
We ship FBA inventory for US sellers across the categories where international sourcing and FBA economics intersect.
Get your Amazon FBA freight quote
Send the lane, the mode, total weight and cbm, ready date, and the destination FBA warehouse code.
Request your Amazon FBA freight quote
Frequently asked questions about Amazon FBA shipping
A freight forwarder on Amazon is the company moving goods to the Amazon FBA warehouse. That forwarder, also called an FBA forwarder, moves the freight by sea or air and books the delivery appointment at the FBA gate. Amazon is not the forwarder unless you book its Amazon Global Logistics program, and a prep service is not the forwarder either.
For international FBA shipments, yes. Amazon will not act as importer of record, will not accept duties owed at delivery, and will only take cargo that meets its packaging, labeling, and appointment rules. A freight forwarder helps you meet those rules and avoid the gate refusal that wipes out a launch.
Yes, if the cartons leave the factory FBA-ready and the inbound plan is already created in Seller Central. The freight then goes to the FBA warehouse Amazon assigns, with the delivery appointment booked. Cartons that still need FNSKU labels or poly bags go through FBA prep first; the FBA guide for importers shows both routes.
Both can deliver to FBA. Amazon Global Logistics is Amazon's own freight program for FBA sellers, booked in Seller Central: ocean and air from China, and ocean from Vietnam, to the US. A freight forwarder also covers origins such as India and Europe.
From China, ocean FCL needs 20 to 30 days for West Coast FBA and 34 to 47 days for East Coast FBA once handling at both ends is counted, ocean LCL needs 25 to 60 days, and standard air freight 5 to 8 days in the air, before handling. Add another 2 to 5 days for the FBA delivery appointment lead time at destination.
Cost depends on mode, lane, volume, and the destination FBA warehouse. In mid-2026, port-to-port rates for a 40ft container from China to the West Coast sat around $5,900 to $7,800, with drayage and FBA delivery on top. LCL is priced per cbm, and the LCL shipping page gives the current range. In 2026, general air freight from China runs about $3.50 to $6.50 per kg. Get a quote if you want line-item visibility on a specific shipment.
Yes. LCL is a common mode for FBA shipments under 13 to 15 cbm. Platton books LCL into every major US FBA warehouse.
FBA restocks for Prime Day and Q4
Give us your FBA warehouse codes, replenishment cadence, and the next Prime Day or Q4 cutoff, and the mode mix and delivery appointments are planned around those dates.