Freight Forwarder for Amazon FBA, From the Factory Door to the Dock Appointment
We cover the first mile, middle mile and final mile. But we go the extra mile. One team books the freight, clears customs, receives and preps the goods, and delivers them into Amazon, Walmart, Target, Costco or your own warehouse with the appointment already booked.
International freight forwarding from China, Vietnam, India, Europe and Canada into 50+ US and Canada warehouses. Ocean or air, FCL or LCL, with ISF, HTS classification, duties and agency compliance handled by licensed brokers, FBA or retail prep done in the receiving building, and inventory into Amazon within 2 to 4 days of landing at the warehouse. No minimum volume.
BRANDS THAT IMPORT THROUGH AMZ PREP FREIGHT
- A general forwarder's job ends at the port or a warehouse door. An FBA freight forwarder carries it through customs, receiving, prep and the Amazon or retailer dock appointment.
- AMZ Prep forwards from China, Vietnam, India, Europe and Canada into 50+ US and Canada warehouses, by ocean (FCL and LCL) or air.
- Licensed brokers handle HTS classification, ISF on ocean shipments, entry and duties, FDA/CPSC/FCC compliance, and CBSA/CUSMA for Canada.
- Receiving and prep happen in the same building: FBA prep under $1.50 per case, retail cartons to the routing guide, then Middle Mile into Amazon with $0 placement fees and 2 to 4 day check-in.
- Same inventory, every destination: Amazon FBA and Vendor Central, Walmart, Target, Costco, Nordstrom, TikTok Shop, and your own DTC warehouse.
- One all-in quote within 24 hours, no minimum volume, every shipment tracked in Relay.
What is an FBA freight forwarder, and how is it different from a general one?
A general international freight forwarder books the vessel or flight, files the export and import paperwork, and delivers the cargo to a port, an airport, or a warehouse you name. That is a real service and for plain B2B freight it is enough. The problem for an ecommerce brand is what happens after that door: the goods still need to be received, counted, labeled to Amazon's spec or a retailer's routing guide, and delivered against an appointment. When the forwarder, the prep center and the inbound carrier are three companies, each waits on the one before it, and the 5 to 10 days that adds is where the forwarder's quoted transit time and your calendar part ways.
AMZ Prep runs the whole chain under one quote. The same company that booked the container drays it from the port, receives it into Navigate, preps it, and puts it on a Middle Mile lane into Amazon, or onto a booked appointment at a Walmart, Target or Costco DC. The person you call when the ship is late is the same person who booked the appointment.
What does AMZ Prep freight forwarding cover?
Everything between the factory door and the dock. Each piece is quoted together, so there is one invoice and one team accountable for the date.
Origin pickup and export
Factory pickup in China, Vietnam, India, Europe or Canada, delivery to the origin port or airport, and export documentation: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin where preferential duty applies.
Ocean freight, FCL and LCL
Vessel space booked to the US or Canada port closest to the receiving warehouse. Full containers sealed at origin; LCL consolidated at the origin port. Lane transit times and container pricing are on the sea freight page.
Air freight and express
Standard and express air for launches and stockout recovery, from Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Delhi, Mumbai and European gateways. Rates and airport-to-airport times are on the air freight page.
Customs brokerage
Licensed brokers file the ISF on ocean shipments before loading, classify by HTS code, file the entry, pay duties, and manage FDA, CPSC, FCC and USDA requirements. Canada-bound freight clears with CBSA and qualifies under CUSMA where it applies.
Drayage, receiving and prep
The container or air cargo moves to the nearest of 50+ AMZ Prep warehouses, is counted against the packing list, received into Navigate, and prepped in the same building: FNSKU, poly bag, bundle, carton label, shipment plan, or the retailer routing-guide equivalent.
Delivery to every destination
Middle Mile into Amazon FBA with $0 placement fees and 2 to 4 day check-in. PO deliveries to Vendor Central against the ASN. Appointment-booked pallets to Walmart, Target, Costco, Nordstrom and other DCs. DTC and marketplace orders shipped from the same inventory.
How does freight forwarding work with AMZ Prep?
You confirm the order with your factory. AMZ Prep handles the rest. The step-by-step for a China import, including HS codes and duty rates, is in the China to USA shipping guide.
Share the shipment
Product, dimensions, weight, HS codes, quantity, origin, and the date you need stock sellable. You get one all-in quote within 24 hours with the mode recommended from your volume and timeline.
Booking and pickup
AMZ Prep books the vessel or flight and arranges factory pickup. For ocean, the ISF is filed before the container loads.
Transit, tracked in Relay
Vessel or flight tracking with port and airport ETA monitoring. A delay is flagged while there is still time to adjust the inbound plan.
Customs clearance
HTS classification, entry, duties and agency compliance handled by licensed brokers at the port of entry. CBSA and CUSMA for Canada.
Receiving and prep
Drayage to the nearest AMZ Prep warehouse, receiving into Navigate, and FBA or retail prep the same day.
Appointment-booked delivery
Middle Mile into Amazon, PO delivery to Vendor Central, or routing-guide delivery to Walmart, Target, Costco and other DCs, with the appointment booked before the truck leaves.
Where does AMZ Prep forward freight from?
| Origin | Main ports and airports | Modes | Typical door to Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Shenzhen, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yiwu; Hong Kong air | FCL, LCL, air, express | 4 to 6 weeks by ocean, 1 to 2 weeks by air |
| Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh, Hai Phong | FCL, LCL, air | 4 to 6 weeks by ocean, 1 to 2 weeks by air |
| India | Mumbai, Nhava Sheva, Chennai; Delhi air | FCL, LCL, air | 5 to 7 weeks by ocean, 1 to 2 weeks by air |
| Europe and UK | Rotterdam, Hamburg, Felixstowe; Frankfurt, Amsterdam air | FCL, LCL, air | 3 to 5 weeks by ocean, 1 to 2 weeks by air |
| Canada and US (cross-border) | Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal | FTL, LTL, reefer | 3 to 7 days with PARS/PAPS pre-clearance |
Door-to-Amazon ranges include pickup, transit, customs, receiving and prep. Port-to-port and airport-to-airport times by lane are on the sea freight and air freight pages.
Receiving near the port matters more than most sellers expect. A container into Long Beach that is received in Southern California and a container into Newark received in New Jersey both avoid a cross-country dray, and the inventory is inside Amazon's receiving queue the same week it lands.
How does customs clearance work on an Amazon FBA import?
HTS classification and duties
Each SKU is classified before it ships so the duty is known in the landed cost, not discovered at the port. The Import Duty Calculator gives an estimate before you book.
ISF for ocean freight
The Importer Security Filing is required on ocean imports into the US and must be on file before the container loads at origin. It does not apply to air or truck freight. AMZ Prep files it as part of the booking.
Agency compliance
FDA for food, supplements and cosmetics; CPSC for children's products and consumer goods; FCC for electronics; USDA for plant and animal products. The broker confirms what applies to your SKU before it ships.
Canada and cross-border
Canada-bound freight clears with CBSA and moves at preferential duty under CUSMA where the goods qualify. Truck freight between the US and Canada crosses on PARS/PAPS pre-clearance filed before the truck reaches the border, in both directions.
FBA freight forwarder vs general freight forwarder: what changes?
Both move cargo across an ocean. The difference is where the responsibility ends.
| Capability | General freight forwarder | AMZ Prep FBA FORWARDER |
|---|---|---|
| Factory pickup and export | ✓Yes |
✓Yes |
| Ocean and air freight | ✓Yes |
✓Yes |
| Customs brokerage | ✓Usually |
✓Included, licensed brokers in house |
| Delivery point | –Port, airport, or a warehouse you name |
✓Amazon FC, Vendor Central dock, retailer DC, or your warehouse |
| FNSKU labeling and FBA prep | ✗No, separate prep center |
✓In the receiving building, under $1.50 per case |
| Shipment plan and inbound appointment | ✗Seller books |
✓Booked before the truck leaves |
| Placement fees into FBA | ✗Not addressed |
✓$0 via Middle Mile, 2 to 4 day check-in |
| Retail routing guides, EDI, ASN | ✗No |
✓Walmart, Target, Costco, Nordstrom, Vendor Central |
| Storage between shipments | ✗Short-term at best |
✓50+ warehouses, drip-feed into FBA capacity limits |
| Who you call when the ship is late | –The forwarder, then the prep center, then the carrier |
✓One freight team |
How is FBA freight forwarding priced?
What is in the quote
Freight (per container, per CBM, or per kg), origin and terminal handling, customs brokerage and ISF, drayage to the warehouse, receiving, prep, and the inbound delivery. Carrier peak surcharges, October to January, are passed through at cost and shown as a line.
What is not
Import duties and taxes, which depend on the HTS code and origin and are billed at cost. Estimate them before you book with the Import Duty Calculator.
What moves it
Mode, season, container size versus cargo volume, and the port chosen. Booking ocean 8 to 12 weeks ahead of Q4 holds space and rate. The CBM Calculator shows whether your order is an LCL or an FCL.
Volume
No minimum. Brands importing a container or more a quarter get the volume rates AMZ Prep buys across 5,000+ brands and a dedicated freight contact; a first LCL test order is quoted the same way.
Do you need an FBA freight forwarder?
Yes, if
✓ You source from China, Vietnam, India, Europe or Canada
✓ Your goods are headed into Amazon FBA, Vendor Central, or a retailer DC
✓ You have had shipment-plan rejections, labeling errors, or chargebacks
✓ You sell on Amazon plus at least one other channel from the same inventory
✓ You need to hold stock outside Amazon's capacity limits and drip-feed it
✓ You want one invoice and one team accountable for the date
Brands that import through AMZ Prep freight
From cross-border cold chain to weekly truckloads, these brands run freight and fulfillment through the same team.
Mid Day Squares
Temperature-controlled chocolate from Canada into US Amazon fulfillment centers. Cross-border pre-clearance, cold storage consolidation, and FBA delivery with the cold chain held from origin to receiving.
Beekeeper's Naturals
Weekly FTL and LTL freight across the AMZ Prep network in the US and Canada, into Amazon on Middle Mile, scaling without adding carriers or prep vendors.
Eight Sleep
Ocean freight from China and Vietnam into Canadian fulfillment centers, with inventory balanced between British Columbia and Ontario and prep done at receiving.
Renwil
LTL consolidation for large-format home goods, routed across the AMZ Prep network to cut transit time and per-unit delivery cost into retail and marketplace channels.
Zoplenti
Freight for eight brands under one program, including temperature-controlled chocolate lines, with FBA prep and freight on a single contract.
SimplyThick
Domestic FBA freight from Missouri into AMZ Prep receiving, with freight and prep consolidated to shorten the inbound lead time to Amazon.
FBA freight forwarding questions, answered
An FBA freight forwarder moves inventory from an overseas factory to an Amazon fulfillment center and handles the Amazon-specific steps a general forwarder stops short of: FNSKU labeling, carton and shipment-plan compliance, and the inbound dock appointment. AMZ Prep forwards from China, Vietnam, India, Europe and Canada into Amazon FBA and Vendor Central, and into Walmart, Target, Costco and other retailer DCs or your own warehouse, with customs brokerage and prep included.
If you source overseas, yes. Amazon does not arrange inbound freight from a factory. Someone has to book the vessel or flight, file the export and import entries, pay duties, truck the goods from the port, prep them to Amazon's spec and book the appointment. A forwarder does the first half; an FBA freight forwarder does all of it. If you source domestically or your factory ships to Amazon on its own account, you may not need one.
A general forwarder's responsibility ends at the port or a warehouse door. An FBA freight forwarder carries it through receiving, FBA prep, and appointment-booked delivery into Amazon. The practical difference is the 5 to 10 days and the second invoice a seller loses moving cargo from the forwarder's warehouse to a separate prep center and then to Amazon.
One all-in quote within 24 hours covering factory pickup, export documentation, ocean or air freight, origin and destination charges, customs brokerage, drayage to the receiving warehouse, receiving and prep, and delivery to Amazon or the retailer DC. Duties and taxes are passed through at cost. There is no minimum volume.
Plan 4 to 6 weeks door to Amazon by ocean from China and 1 to 2 weeks by air, including pickup, customs, receiving and prep. Port-to-port and airport-to-airport times by route are on the sea freight and air freight pages. Once inventory is in an AMZ Prep warehouse, it checks in to FBA within 2 to 4 days on Middle Mile.
AMZ Prep's licensed customs brokers classify the goods by HTS code, file the Importer Security Filing for ocean shipments before the vessel loads, file the entry, calculate and pay duties, and manage FDA, CPSC, FCC or USDA requirements where the product needs them. For Canada-bound freight the same team handles CBSA clearance and CUSMA qualification.
Yes. The same imported inventory is received once at an AMZ Prep warehouse and delivered to Amazon FBA on Middle Mile, to Vendor Central inbound docks against the PO and ASN, and to Walmart, Target, Costco, Nordstrom and other retailer DCs under each routing guide with the appointment booked. DTC and marketplace orders ship from the same inventory pool.
Yes. After customs release the container or air cargo is drayed to the nearest AMZ Prep warehouse, received into Navigate, and prepped in the same building: FNSKU labels, poly bags, bundles, carton labels, and the shipment plan. FBA prep runs under $1.50 per case on a first-pick-plus-additional-pick model. Retail cartons are labeled to the retailer's routing guide the same way.
Tell us the origin, the product, and where it needs to land
One quote covering pickup, freight, customs, receiving, prep and appointment-booked delivery to Amazon, a retailer DC, or your warehouse, within 24 hours.
