How to Ship From Alibaba to Amazon FBA | Your Ultimate FAQ Guide

If you are a new Amazon seller, you may find the process of ordering products from Alibaba and sending them to the Amazon FBA warehouse very complicated. In this ultimate FAQ guide, you'll get all the questions that a new Amazon seller may have.

Whether you're from the same country as your desired Amazon marketplace or from another country, this FAQ guide will help you ship your products from Alibaba to Amazon FBA.

1. What is Alibaba?

Alibaba is an online marketplace that connects manufacturers from China and worldwide. It provides a platform where wholesalers, retailers, and businesses worldwide can easily connect with manufacturers.

For business owners looking for products from overseas, Alibaba offers a convenient way to contact manufacturers and source desired or custom-made products at competitive prices.

2. How can I find a reliable supplier on Alibaba?

Trust is a significant factor when dealing with manufacturers from overseas, especially due to the substantial financial transactions involved. Alibaba provides a Verified Supplier program, offering a verified seller badge to manufacturers who pass a third-party inspection of their facilities.

The verification process involves a third-party inspection of the manufacturing facility. If the manufacturer meets all the criteria, they receive the verified supplier badge.

For businesses looking to source products from Alibaba, it's advisable to choose verified suppliers to ensure trust and reliability.

3. How do I negotiate with suppliers on Alibaba?

Alibaba offers wide suppliers for each product, making price negotiation relatively simple. However, the key is to prioritize quality manufacturers. Begin by selecting 5-10 reputable manufacturers with verified badges and positive feedback from past clients.

If you have your shortlist, communicate your requirements to each manufacturer. Select the one that can meet all your needs and provides the most competitive price.

4. Can I ship directly from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

Yes! You can do it, you can choose the DDP shipping method, and your products will be shipped directly from the manufacturer’s warehouse to the Amazon FBA warehouse.

However!  If you're a new seller, be cautious as new sellers typically have a minimal inventory limit for placing products in the Amazon FBA warehouse. Once your products start selling, your inventory limit is increased based on the sales you generate.

So, Ensure you meet all criteria for shipping to avoid Amazon rejecting your products, and you may have to get through a lot of trouble.

5. What are the different shipping methods available for shipping from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

When shipping from Alibaba to Amazon FBA, you can choose between sea freight and air freight. If you are sending your first lot and the weight of the total shipment is 100 to 200 Kg,  air freight is advisable despite its higher cost, as it offers faster delivery.

If you are sending a large shipment, ocean freight is the more cost-effective choice compared to air freight, which can be prohibitively expensive for large quantities. depending on your shipment size, you can choose between these two shipping methods.

 

6. What are the packaging requirements for shipping from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

There are two main packaging requirements. First, you need the FNSKU or UPC or any similar compatible barcode to identify the products put on all the individual units.

The second one is FBA barcodes that are put on all the cartons. You need to generate both of these barcodes during the creation of the shipment and mail both of these barcodes to your manufacturer.

You should generate FNSKU/ UPC barcodes based on the total number of units you plan to send and the FBA barcodes based on the total number of cartons required to fit all those units.

You will also need the pallet labels if you send the palletized shipment; these labels should be put on all four sides of the pallet in addition to the FBA carton labels.

7. How long does it take to ship from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

If you are sending your shipment via sea freight depends on the distance between China and the destination country. For example, if you are sending your shipment to Amazon FBA USA marketplace, it will take between 30-40 days. If you plan to send your shipment via air freight from China to Amazon FBA USA marketplace, it will take between 8-10 days.

8. How much does it cost to ship from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

Sea freight and air freight are two main ways to ship your products from Alibaba to Amazon FBA. The shipping costs vary due to several factors, including fuel prices, shipment size (larger shipments often negotiate better rates), the time of year (shipping costs rise in the last quarter), and international taxes and duties.

Due to so many factors involved that keep changing, it is impossible to provide the correct price estimate. You will need to get the current prices from the freight forwarder you selected to ship your products.

 

9. How do I ensure the quality of products when shipping from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

To ensure the quality of your products, The first thing you should do is

to make sure that you are partnering with a reputable manufacturer who is a verified seller and has received positive reviews from previous customers. Additionally, before placing a bulk order, request a sample to personally verify the product's quality.

One more thing you can do is hire an independent third-party product inspection service provider in China. These services conduct physical inspections at the manufacturing facility, providing detailed reports on product parameters to ensure quality and compliance.

10. What are the risks involved in shipping from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

When you ship your products from Alibaba to Amazon FBA, involves various risks, let’s look at some of them.

1. Your products get lost or damaged during transit: Products can be lost or damaged during shipping, whether by air or sea.

2. You receive bad quality products: Despite taking precautions such as ordering samples and third-party inspections, some substandard products may still be received.

3. Negative customer feedback: Poor-quality products can result in negative reviews, affecting your Amazon sales.

4. Your products may cause damage or injury: Products that pose potential risks, especially those for children, can lead to liability issues and legal complications.

 

11.Do I need to worry about customs clearance when shipping from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

To simplify the shipping process, it's essential to understand key terms such as FOB, DDU, and DDP, and now let’s understand all of these in detail.

1. FOB: This stands for “freight on board,” in this type of shipping method, the freight forwarder is responsible for delivering the products to the dock, and the buyer is responsible for picking up the goods from the port and dealing with import duties, taxes, and customs fees.
2. DDU: This stands for “delivered duty unpaid” In this shipping method, the buyer gets the product to his/her desired location; however, the buyer is responsible for paying the import duties, taxes, and customs fees.
3. DDP: This stands for “delivered duty paid” If you choose this shipping method, then you pay all the taxes and customs fees to the freight forwarder in advance, so you do not have to deal with customs clearance or any other taxes related to that, and your products get delivered directly to the selected Amazon FBA warehouse.

If you are a new Amazon seller or reside outside your desired Amazon FBA marketplace, opting for the DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) shipping method is advisable. This choice helps avoid potential customs clearance issues, as well as any additional duties or taxes that may arise during the shipping process.

If you still choose DDU or FOB method of shipping, you can calculate your import duties, taxes and custom fees here.

12. What are the steps involved in shipping from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

If you are a new Amazon seller trying to figure out how to ship your products from Alibaba to Amazon, then let’s look at all the steps you need to take to ship your products to Amazon FBA’s warehouse successfully.

The first thing you need to do is create the shipment. You need to send all the barcodes to your manufacturer in China so they can paste them at the designated places. If you are working with an experienced manufacturer, they already know all the steps and will assist you with the steps required if you miss any.

Once the shipment is prepared, the second thing you need to do is find a reputable freight forwarder.

We at Friendship are one of the most reputable freight forwarding companies, please look at our site and see what our customers who have used our services in the past have to say about us.

If you have an EXW contract with your manufacturer in China, then your freight forwarder needs to pick up your shipment from your manufacturer, which the freight forwarder will charge you money for; however, if you have a FOB contract with your manufacturer, then your manufacturer will ship your products to your freight forwarder’s warehouse in China.

Do not be confused about this EXW and FOB contract that you will have with the manufacturer in China, with the FOB, DDU, and DDP shipping you will have with your freight forwarder. 

After your product reaches the freight forwarder’s warehouse, the freight forwarder measures the entire shipment and ensures that everything is fine and will be accepted at Amazon’s warehouse easily. After that, you may choose your preferred shipping method of FOB, DDU, or DDP according to your preference.

You can calculate the total chargeable weight yourself on our website as well.

Among these three shipping methods, the most convenient is DDP shipping, and that is what is recommended by us, “Friendship,” after you pay the freight forwarder the shipping amount, your job is done. You need to wait for your shipment to reach Amazon’s warehouse and as soon as the product reaches Amazon’s warehouse, your listings will get life.

13. How do I track my shipment from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

When you engage a freight forwarder, they will provide you with a tracking number and tracking website upon generating the shipment label for your products. When you get the tracking number, You can track your shipment from the freight forwarder tracking website.

As soon as the shipment reaches the destination country and the courier company picks up the shipment, you can also use 17track to follow up on the shipping status just like you track other local or international shipments.

 

14. What should I do if my products are damaged or lost during shipping?

If you receive damaged products or in the worst case, no products at all, there is limited recourse available as the compensation amount from the shipping carrier is very low, For instance, with UPS courier shipping, the maximum compensation per shipment for damage or loss is often limited to US$100. However, it's worth noting that the likelihood of your products being damaged or lost is very low.

Even if the chances of this happening to you are negligible, you should still consider cargo insurance because the amount you’d need to pay for the cargo insurance is as low as 0.3% of the total value of the shipment, and the minimum cost is US$25 per shipment.

At Friendship, we can help you get your cargo insured without any hassle, and the best way to avoid this situation is to get cargo insurance; this insurance will insure your shipment from Alibaba to Amazon FBA. In the event of lost or damaged cargo, you can claim it from your cargo insurance provider company.

15. How do I ensure that my products comply with Amazon’s guidelines when shipping from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

Let’s look at the various guidelines in a simplified way to understand Amazon’s guidelines so that you can list your products on Amazon.

You need to make sure that all applicable local, state, and federal regulations are complied with before listing any products on the Amazon marketplace. You also need to go by Amazon’s own rules, which include providing the appropriate product safety and compliance documentation.

Everything from test results and product certifications to safety guidelines and label pictures can be included in this.

An Amazon compliance request can respond to a change in regulatory requirements, a customer complaint, or an internal Amazon audit. However, it often occurs when you’re launching a new product.

As a result, it’s important to be aware of any requests that Amazon may make.

• Children’s Product Certificate (CPC)
• General Certificate of Conformity (GCC)
• Test Reports from an ISO 17025 Accredited Laboratory
• Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Compliance Documentation
• Registration cards
• Tracking labels
• Compliance markings
• Product instructions and manuals

If you don’t follow all the rules, Amazon might block or take down your listings.

Another thing you can do is try to create the listings on Amazon first, and if there are any certifications or guidelines required for that product category, then you won’t be able to create the listing.

So you can contact seller support and verify with them if the product category is gated (restricted) or not, and if that is the case, then you can have a detailed discussion with them about  all the certifications required?

You may have to do a lot of back and forth with seller support because you will find out that only a few seller support representatives are knowledgeable enough to answer all your queries.

16. How do I calculate the total landed cost of my products when shipping from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

Calculating the total landed cost is fairly easy. Two main costs are  the total amount you pay for products and the amount you pay to ship your products from China to your selected Amazon FBA marketplace country.

Several other miscellaneous costs are involved, such as ordering the samples, getting your products inspected, insuring your shipment, etc., so after adding all these, you should be able to get your landed cost.

17. How do I handle returns and refunds for products shipped from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

Once your products reach the Amazon FBA warehouse, all you need to worry about is getting more sales; Amazon handles refunds and returns on your behalf, so take advantage of this platform, where millions of buyers visit with the intent to buy the products.

18. What are some common mistakes to avoid when shipping from Alibaba to Amazon FBA?

Let’s look at some of the mistakes new Amazon sellers make, and you should avoid these from the beginning if you want to become a successful Amazon seller.

• You should not work with an unverified supplier or a supplier that does not have a track record of delivering quality products just to save a few dollars per unit.
• You should always order the samples before placing the bulk order for any product you plan to sell on Amazon.
• You should never pay the full amount for your products in advance; the standard split is 30% advance and 70% after completion.
• You should always get your products inspected by a third-party inspection company before making the final payment to the manufacturer; in that case, if the products lack quality or if there is any other problem, you can get it fixed because you have the leverage as you owe the manufacturer a major chunk of money.
• In the same way, you should work with a verified and trustworthy manufacturer; similarly, you should only work with a trustworthy and reliable freight forwarder so if anything goes wrong in transit, you have someone you can trust.
• The last thing you can do to safeguard your products is to get cargo insurance; some Amazon sellers take it, and some sellers don’t; if you take this insurance, you can have peace of mind.

Conclusion

Selling on Amazon is not difficult, but navigating the process of manufacturing and shipping your products to Amazon can be overwhelming for new sellers. In this FAQ guide, you'll find answers to all your questions to help you take the next step with confidence.

At Friendship, we have a long track record of shipping products from Alibaba to Amazon FBA warehouses worldwide at competitive prices.

So if you are an Amazon seller trying to ship your products to the Amazon FBA warehouse in any corner of the world without any headache, then Friendship is here for your help, Contact us for a quotation and start your journey toward becoming a successful Amazon FBA seller.