Overview

Amazon sellers that need to move inventory across borders face a maze of customs filings, carrier coordination, and last‑mile delivery to fulfillment centers. Partnering with a freight forwarder transforms this complexity into a managed service, helping sellers keep costs low and stock flowing. Understanding the forwarder’s role, the services offered, and selection criteria is essential for anyone who ships overseas to Amazon.

Key Points

• Customs navigation — Forwarders handle entry paperwork, duty payments, and compliance checks, preventing shipments from being held up at border inspections.
• Consolidation advantage — By merging several small loads into one container, forwarders lower the per‑unit freight charge for sellers whose cargo is under 10 CBM.
• Amazon‑approved routing — Many forwarders work with carriers that are pre‑qualified by Amazon, ensuring deliveries meet the platform’s labeling and packaging rules.
• Itemized pricing — Reputable providers break down costs into ocean or air freight, brokerage fees, insurance, and final‑mile transport, giving sellers full visibility.
• Tech sync — Modern forwarders supply dashboards that integrate with Amazon’s shipment creation tools, automatically attaching the required FBA shipment IDs.
• Risk protection — They arrange cargo insurance and provide real‑time tracking alerts, allowing sellers to react before a delay impacts inventory levels.

How Freight Forwarding Works

1. Quote & Booking — The seller supplies product dimensions, weight, origin, and the target Amazon fulfillment center. The forwarder returns a detailed estimate (e.g., $1,150 for ocean freight plus $140 for customs brokerage) and secures space on a ship or plane.
2. Pickup & Consolidation — The forwarder schedules a pickup from the supplier’s warehouse, then groups the cargo with other sellers’ shipments into a shared container or pallet. For instance, a 20‑foot container might carry goods from five different Amazon sellers, each paying only a slice of the total freight cost.