Overview

Amazon has extended its FBA partnered‑carrier program to sellers located in Germany and the United Kingdom, allowing them to ship inventory directly to U.S. fulfillment centers. The change folds international freight, customs clearance and final‑mile delivery into the familiar “Send to Amazon” workflow, giving European sellers a one‑stop logistics solution. Sellers who rely on cross‑border inventory should watch because the new option can cut costs, simplify paperwork and accelerate time‑to‑market in the United States.

Key Points

• Partnered carrier availability — German and UK sellers can now select Amazon’s vetted carrier when creating a U.S. FBA shipment inside Seller Central.
• Pre‑negotiated freight rates — Amazon’s contracts with the carrier often produce lower per‑pallet pricing than rates most sellers obtain from independent freight forwarders.
• Customs clearance handled — The carrier assumes responsibility for both export paperwork in Europe and import clearance in the United States, eliminating the need for separate customs brokers.
• Door‑to‑door service — Pickup from the seller’s warehouse, transatlantic transport and delivery to the designated U.S. fulfillment center occur under a single contract, removing multiple handoffs.
• Single‑invoice billing — Shipping charges appear on the regular Amazon seller invoice, so sellers no longer manage a separate carrier account or reconcile multiple bills.

How the Partnered Carrier Program Works

1. Select the international carrier — While building a new FBA shipment for the U.S. marketplace, the seller chooses the “International Partnered Carrier” option that now appears for origins in Germany or the UK. For example, a Berlin‑based apparel brand adds 200 units of a summer dress line and clicks the partnered‑carrier checkbox.
2. Confirm pickup and generate labels — Amazon’s system schedules a pickup at the seller’s address, creates the required export documentation, and produces carrier‑specific labels that include both the Amazon fulfillment center code and customs information. In the same session, the UK‑based electronics vendor receives a PDF with a QR‑code label that the carrier driver scans on arrival.