How to Get Products From Suppliers to Amazon FBA: 5 Routes (2026)
Quick answer: There are five common routes from a supplier to Amazon FBA: (1) the factory ships straight to Amazon; (2) the factory delivers to a prep warehouse in China, which inspects, labels, packs and ships to Amazon; (3) bulk freight goes to a prep center in the US, which sends smaller batches on to FBA; (4) stock goes into Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) in the US, which tops up FBA; (5) stock waits in one of Amazon's Global Warehousing and Distribution (GWD) hubs in China and is shipped to US FBA as needed. Every route has to deliver the same result: units prepped and labelled before they reach Amazon, cartons within Amazon's limits, and duties paid with a named importer of record.
What every route has to deliver
The routes differ in where goods stop on the way. The rules at the end of the road are the same:
- Prep and labels done before arrival. Since January 1, 2026, Amazon no longer preps or labels inventory for US FBA, including stock that reaches FBA through AWD or Amazon Global Logistics. Units that arrive without the required prep can be delayed, refused or returned, and lose reimbursement if they are lost or damaged.
- An FNSKU on every unit, unless you hold the Brand Representative role in Amazon Brand Registry. Amazon ended commingled inventory on March 31, 2026, so everyone else labels every unit, even if it already has a UPC.
- Cartons within limits. For US FBA: up to 50 lb, and up to 36 inches on the longest side and 25 inches on the other two, a limit Amazon raised in June 2025. AWD still allows 25 inches at most on every side.
- A shipment created in Seller Central, with a box ID label on each carton that matches its contents.
- Duties paid and an importer of record. Amazon won't act as importer of record and expects FBA shipments to arrive with duties already paid. Shipments that name Amazon as importer, or arrive with duties owing, are refused.
For the step-by-step prep work (bagging, labelling, carton rules and common mistakes), see our guide to how Amazon selling from China works. This article is about choosing the route.
The five routes
Route 1: Factory straight to FBA
You send the factory your FNSKU and box label files, the factory labels and packs the goods, and your freight provider collects from the factory and delivers to the Amazon warehouses in your shipment plan.
- Good for: one supplier per shipment, a simple product, and a factory that has prepped FBA orders correctly before.
- Watch out for: nobody independent checks the goods before Amazon does. Labels on the wrong spot, a factory barcode left uncovered or a short carton only show up at check-in, when they are hardest to fix. Each supplier also ships separately.
Route 2: Through a prep warehouse in China
Goods from one or several suppliers go to a warehouse in China. There they are counted, inspected, labelled and packed into compliant cartons, then shipped to Amazon together.
- Good for: shipments that combine products from several factories, products where defects are common, sellers who want photos before anything leaves China, and sellers who keep buffer stock in China and send FBA smaller top-ups (see short-term vs long-term storage for when that pays).
- Watch out for: one extra delivery inside China, from factory to warehouse. Pick a warehouse that photographs each carton and gives you a packing list, because those records matter if units go missing at check-in.
Route 3: Through a prep center in the US
Goods are imported into the US in bulk, delivered to a US prep center or 3PL, prepped there and sent on to FBA in smaller shipments. For that last domestic leg, Amazon's Partnered Carrier program can move small-parcel or pallet shipments within the US.
- Good for: products that need rework after arrival, splitting stock into many small FBA shipments, and serving merchant-fulfilled or other channels from the same US stock.
- Watch out for: US labor rates for prep, two domestic legs instead of one, and the import itself. The goods are cleared and duty paid when they enter the US, before they reach the prep center.
Route 4: Through Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD)
AWD is Amazon's bulk storage in the US. Stock is stored in cartons or on pallets and moved into FBA automatically as your FBA stock runs down, or on your own instructions.
- Good for: large, steady volumes and sellers who keep hitting their FBA capacity limits.
- Watch out for: stricter carton limits than FBA, and no prep inside Amazon's network, so units must be fully prepped and labelled before they go into AWD. With automatic replenishment you also hand Amazon some control over timing.
Route 5: Through Amazon's GWD hubs in China
Amazon's Global Warehousing and Distribution (GWD) opened in Shenzhen in April 2026, and in July 2026 Amazon announced further sites in Shanghai and Ningbo. Stock waits in China in bulk, and Amazon ships it by ocean through Amazon Global Logistics to replenish your US FBA stock when needed. For now, GWD serves only US FBA.
- Good for: sellers who want stock to wait near the factories, with Amazon handling the move into the US network.
- Watch out for: it is a new program, the stock is committed to Amazon's US store, and the same prep and labelling rules apply before goods go in.
The routes compared
| Route | Inspection before Amazon | Who preps and labels | Where stock waits | Stock usable for other channels? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Factory direct | Only if you book one | The factory | Nowhere: straight to FBA | No |
| 2. China prep warehouse | Yes, on arrival | The warehouse | China | Yes, until it ships |
| 3. US prep center | Yes, after import | The prep center | US | Yes, in the US |
| 4. AWD | Only before it ships | You or your partner, before AWD | US, inside Amazon | Mostly Amazon |
| 5. GWD | Only before it ships | You or your partner, before GWD | China, inside Amazon | Amazon US only |
Routes can be combined. A common setup is route 2 for prep and inspection, with the cartons then sent into AWD or straight to FBA depending on your capacity.
Booking the freight: forwarder or Amazon Global Logistics
For routes 1, 2 and 4 you also choose who carries the goods from China. Amazon Global Logistics (AGL) is Amazon's own door-to-door ocean and air freight service from China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. For US-bound freight its price covers pickup, export declaration, the international freight and destination customs clearance, delivered into FBA, or into AWD for shipments from China. AGL still asks you to set up importer of record details: using Amazon's freight does not make Amazon the importer. A freight forwarder offers the same legs with more choice of routing and can also deliver to a prep center or 3PL. Whichever you book, ask three questions in writing: who is the importer of record, are duties prepaid, and which Amazon warehouses will receive the cartons?
How to choose: four questions
- How many suppliers go into one shipment? One reliable factory makes route 1 workable. Several factories point to route 2.
- How often do your batches have defects? If problems are common, you want an inspection before labels go on, which means route 2 or 3.
- How large and steady is your volume? Big, predictable volumes that strain your FBA capacity limit are what AWD and GWD are built for.
- Do you also sell elsewhere? Stock held in your own warehouse in China or the US can still serve Shopify, TikTok or wholesale orders. Stock inside Amazon mostly can't. Our comparison of routes to the Prime badge covers that trade-off.
Where your part starts
Whatever route you take, once the cartons reach Amazon the rest happens in your Seller Central account: check-in, reconciling units received against units shipped, opening cases for missing units, Amazon's inbound placement, storage and other fees, and your capacity limits. Keep every packing list and carton photo from the route you use; they are your evidence if quantities don't match.
How PackQuay fits: route 2
We run route 2 from our own warehouse in Xinxiang, Henan. We source the products for you (fee from 10% down to 4% of goods value), inspect 20% of each batch free, store them free for the first 2 months, apply Amazon labels, pack to Amazon's requirements and ship the cartons to Amazon's warehouses. FBA prep is priced per unit: FNSKU labelling is $0.10 per unit, and the other prep services are listed on our Amazon FBA prep page. Freight is charged at cost. Our part ends when the cartons are delivered; check-in and everything after it stay in your Seller Central. Send us your products and shipment plan on WhatsApp.
FAQ
Can my supplier ship directly to Amazon FBA?
Yes, if the units arrive prepped and labelled to Amazon's rules, the cartons meet Amazon's size and weight limits, and someone acts as importer of record with duties paid. The risk is that nobody checks the goods before Amazon does, which is why many sellers route them through a prep warehouse first.
Does Amazon still prep and label products for FBA?
Not in the US. Amazon stopped offering prep and item labelling for US FBA shipments created on or after January 1, 2026, including inventory sent through AWD or Amazon Global Logistics. Units must arrive already prepped and labelled.
Who is the importer of record for an FBA shipment from China?
You, or a party you appoint, but never Amazon. Amazon will not act as importer of record and expects FBA shipments to arrive with duties paid, even when you use Amazon Global Logistics for the freight.
What is the difference between AWD and GWD?
Both are Amazon bulk storage that replenishes FBA. AWD is in the US. GWD is in China: the Shenzhen hub opened in April 2026 and Amazon announced Shanghai and Ningbo sites in July 2026. Amazon ships stock from there to US FBA when it is needed.
What is the cheapest way to get products from China to FBA?
It depends on volume, product and how many suppliers you use. Sea freight costs less than air but takes longer; combining several suppliers into one shipment through a China warehouse saves separate shipments; and accepting Amazon's suggested split of your shipment across warehouses avoids the inbound placement fee that applies when you send everything to fewer locations.