FBA first‑leg service covers the shipment of goods from China to Amazon fulfilment centres. It is important to note that Amazon does not manage customs clearance or cross‑border delivery from China to its overseas warehouses. As Amazon takes no charge of first‑leg transportation, sellers are tasked with arranging this segment themselves — this is what constitutes FBA first‑leg shipping.
In essence, this service supports sellers enrolled in Amazon Global Selling by moving inventory from China to assigned Amazon warehouses across destinations including Germany, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Japan. Available transport options include air freight, courier express and ocean freight, alongside supplementary value‑added logistics solutions for US and UK‑bound FBA shipments.
Key Considerations for FBA First‑Leg Shipping
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When picking an FBA first‑leg solution, sellers need to balance transit timelines against cash flow status to optimise overall logistics expenditure.
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Beyond transport mode selection, product weight and dimensions require careful evaluation. For bulky goods, consolidating them with heavier items can prevent surcharges triggered by excessive volumetric weight.
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Adopting a mixed‑mode shipping strategy is advised. Deploying multiple transport options concurrently helps maintain stable inventory levels to sustain ongoing sales and profitability, while keeping freight costs in check.
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Prior to dispatching FBA shipments, sellers must familiarise themselves with local policies and restrictions applicable to the target Amazon warehouse country, to make sufficient pre‑shipment preparations.
