Amazon FBA Freight Forwarder for Importers Shipping to the US
An Amazon FBA freight forwarder owns the move from your supplier to the FBA warehouse, and that ownership 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, demurrage, and FBA storage exposure that should never have been on the invoice. Platton runs full ocean freight coverage on every major trade lane into the US.
Platton runs Amazon FBA shipments as one managed file. One freight specialist owns it from booking to gate-in: origin pickup, the ocean or air leg, US customs entry through our licensed customs broker, drayage, the FBA appointment, and the bill of lading details Amazon needs to see.
Why importers choose Platton for Amazon FBA freight forwarding
Most clients who onboard with us for FBA freight are leaving a forwarder where rate comparison takes a day, every status update is its own email chain, and accessorial charges only appear at final billing. We built Platton to flip all three. Rates compare in minutes. Milestones land in real time. One named freight specialist owns the file from origin pickup to gate-in at the FBA warehouse.
Live FBA rate comparison across modes
Our system pulls live ocean FCL, LCL, and air freight rates for FBA-bound shipments from carriers and NVOCC partners across every major Asia and EU lane. Sailing options, transit times, and total landed cost into the FBA warehouse sit side by side on the same screen. Picking the right mode for a replenishment cycle becomes a one-screen call.
Real-time milestones from origin to FBA gate-in
Every shipment is tracked from origin pickup through ocean or air transit, US port arrival, customs release, drayage, and the FBA delivery appointment. When a vessel rolls or a container is held for examination, the alert hits your inbox the same day. Not the day the FBA stockout starts to bite.
All Amazon BOL details handled correctly
The Amazon PO number, FBA shipment ID, and delivery appointment all sit on the bill of lading in the format Amazon expects. Pallets are labeled to FBA standard before the truck leaves our warehouse. Driver paperwork lines up with the BOL. Refusals at the warehouse gate go to zero.
Customs and last-mile in one workflow
Customs entry, HTS classification, duty calculation, ISF filing, and Section 301 tariff review run through our licensed customs broker on the same file as the freight. Drayage and the FTL or LTL leg into the FBA warehouse close the loop. No second vendor to chase. No cutoff slipping through.
How Platton forwards
your freight to Amazon FBA
Here is what happens between quote acceptance and gate-in at the FBA warehouse. Every step has a clear owner and a clear handoff, so nothing sits idle between your supplier and Amazon's loading dock.
Origin pickup and export clearance
We arrange empty container or pallet pickup at the supplier, oversee loading, and handle the export paperwork. The packing list, commercial invoice, FNSKU labels, and Amazon shipment plan details are validated before the cargo gets gated in at the origin port or airport.
International ocean or air freight
Once the booking is in, the rate locks and live milestones start appearing in the dashboard. ETD, transshipment events, and updated ETA into the US are visible to your team. If a vessel rolls, the next sailing and revised arrival window go out the same day so your FBA inventory plan can be adjusted before the gap shows up on shelf.
US customs clearance and ISF filing
ISF (10+2) is filed at least 24 hours before vessel loading at origin. The customs entry is filed before US arrival so the cargo clears the moment it discharges. Duties, MPF, HMF, and any Section 301 tariffs are calculated against the HTS codes on file and paid through our licensed customs broker.
Last-mile delivery to the Amazon FBA warehouse
Drayage partners pick the container up at the terminal inside free time. If a transload or pallet rework is needed, that happens at our partner warehouse before the FBA leg starts. Pallets get labeled to Amazon's FBA standard. 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.
Shipping modes we use for Amazon FBA inbound freight
We book FBA shipments across ocean, air, and DDP. 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 ~10–15 cbm
Full container load is the default once volume passes roughly 10 to 15 cbm. The container is sealed at origin and stays sealed until gate-in at the FBA warehouse. 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 13–15 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 adds 5 to 7 days versus FCL, but you get to ship economically without sitting on inventory waiting to fill a container.
Air freight to Amazon FBA
4 to 8 day transits on most Asia–US lanes
Air freight runs 4 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.
DDP shipping to Amazon FBA
One landed cost per unit, duties included
Delivered Duty Paid means Platton handles the whole move, including duties, taxes, and final delivery to the FBA gate, as a single landed cost per unit. Duty calculation goes on the quote before booking, not as a surprise on the final invoice. Sellers who want zero direct involvement with US customs use this mode.
What is included in our Amazon FBA freight service
Every quote covers the full move into the Amazon FBA warehouse, not just the ocean or air leg. Specialty add-ons like cargo insurance, transload, or pallet rework are quoted separately and shown before booking.
Origin pickup at the supplier and export clearance
Ocean FCL, LCL, or air freight to a US port or airport of entry
ISF (10+2) filing at least 24 hours before vessel loading
US customs entry, HTS classification, duty calculation, MPF, HMF, and Section 301 review through licensed customs broker
Drayage from the US port to our partner warehouse, prep facility, or directly to the FBA warehouse
Pallet labeling to Amazon FBA standard, shrink wrap, and load planning
FBA delivery appointment booking and rescheduling
Bill of lading with the Amazon PO number, FBA shipment ID, and appointment time
Real-time milestone tracking and one named freight specialist on your file
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 freight forwarder controls the first two outright. 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, DDP). 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. We come back with live rates from the carriers running that lane, with origin charges, the ocean or air leg, customs, drayage, and FBA delivery all broken out as line items.
The total on the quote is the total on the invoice.
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 from your supplier to that prep warehouse, or straight to the FBA gate when prep happens at origin. The two roles solve different problems, and most enterprise importers run both: prep on the seller side, forwarding on the freight side.
Platton is a freight forwarder, not a prep service. We do not open cartons or apply FNSKU labels. What we do is land your cargo at the prep facility or the FBA warehouse on time, with customs cleared, pallets labeled to Amazon's delivery-side standard, and the appointment booked. When prep is part of the flow, we coordinate timing with your prep partner so freight shows up in the window they need it.
| Factor | Freight Forwarder (Platton) | Prep Service |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Moves goods from your supplier to the prep warehouse or directly to the FBA gate | Receives cartons in the US and prepares individual units for the FBA network |
| Customs handling | Files ISF, customs entry, HTS classification, and duties through a licensed customs broker | None — cargo is already inside the US |
| Inbound delivery to FBA | Yes — pallets labeled to standard, appointment booked, BOL handled | Sometimes, after prep is complete |
| Carton opening and FNSKU labeling | No | Yes — opens cartons and applies FNSKU labels |
| Polybagging and bundling | No | Yes |
| Best fit | Landing cargo from origin at the FBA warehouse on time, customs cleared | Unit-level prep the origin factory cannot do |
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. Transit times below are realistic ranges that account for normal port congestion and the FBA appointment lead time at destination. 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). Air freight is 5 to 8 days door-to-FBA on most pairs. We review Section 301 tariff exposure on every entry.
Vietnam FBA
Vietnam to Amazon FBA
Origin ports include Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai), Haiphong, and Cai Mep.
Ocean FCL is 18 to 24 days into West Coast FBA, 32 to 40 days into East Coast FBA. 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 28 to 38 days into East Coast FBA via Suez, or 30 to 40 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 12 to 16 days into East Coast FBA, 25 to 32 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. You get back a comparison of live freight rates from the carriers running that lane, with every surcharge, customs fee, and FBA delivery line broken out. Response time is usually under four business hours.
Request your Amazon FBA freight quote
Frequently asked questions about Amazon FBA freight forwarding
A freight forwarder on Amazon is the company moving goods from your supplier to the Amazon FBA warehouse. That forwarder handles export clearance, the ocean or air leg, US customs entry, drayage, and the delivery appointment at the FBA gate. Amazon is not the forwarder, and a prep service is not the forwarder either.
An FBA forwarder is a freight forwarder that specializes in delivering cargo to Amazon Fulfillment by Amazon warehouses. The work covers booking the international leg, clearing US customs, palletizing to Amazon's standard, scheduling the FBA delivery appointment, and putting the Amazon PO number and FBA shipment ID on the bill of lading.
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 owns those steps and prevents the gate refusal that wipes out a launch.
From China, ocean FCL takes 14 to 35 days port-to-FBA depending on which coast you are landing at, ocean LCL takes 25 to 50 days, and air freight takes 5 to 8 days. 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. As a 2026 benchmark, a 40HQ ocean FCL from China to a West Coast FBA warehouse runs $2,400 to $4,000 all-in. LCL runs $250 to $600 per cbm. Air freight runs $4 to $9 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. Cargo gets consolidated at the origin CFS, deconsolidated at the US destination, then palletized to Amazon's standard for the FBA appointment. Platton books LCL into every major US FBA warehouse.
Yes. DDP shipping to Amazon FBA bundles freight, customs, duties, and final delivery at the FBA gate into one landed cost per unit. The duty calculation is on the quote before booking, not buried in a final invoice. It is the right fit for sellers who want zero direct involvement with US customs.
No. Platton is a freight forwarder, not a prep warehouse. We do not open cartons, apply FNSKU labels, polybag, or bundle units. We do palletize freight to Amazon's delivery-side standard, label pallets, and coordinate with your prep partner so cartons hit the FBA warehouse inside the appointment window.
Partner with Platton for reliable Amazon FBA freight
Talk to a Platton freight specialist about your regular FBA lanes, replenishment cadence, and warehouse delivery requirements. We will map out an FBA freight plan your operations team can rely on, with confirmed rates, the right mode mix, customs workflow, and appointment management on a single file.