FBA first-leg sea transportation strategy: How to efficiently prepare goods for Amazon warehouses?

1. Preliminary preparations
   Product selection and market research
   Analyze product market demand and competition
   Calculate product profit margins (considering sea transportation costs)
   Ensure that products comply with Amazon FBA policies and destination country regulations
   Inventory planning
   Determine replenishment quantity based on sales forecasts
   Consider sea transportation cycle (usually 30-45 days) to prepare in advance
   Reserve safety stock to cope with sales fluctuations
2. Sea transportation channel selection
   Comparison of sea transportation methods

Full container load (FCL): suitable for large quantities (>15CBM) and single products

Less than container load (LCL): suitable for small batches and multiple categories, charged by volume

Sea transportation express ship: fast time (20-25 days), high cost

Sea transportation general ship: slow time (35-45 days), low cost

Service provider selection

Compare quotations from 3-5 freight forwarders

Confirm whether door-to-warehouse service is provided

Understand customs clearance capabilities and destination port services

III. Packaging and labeling requirements

Product packaging

Use sturdy six-sided cartons

The weight of a single box does not exceed 22.5kg (US station)

The filling in the box should be sufficient to prevent transportation damage

Label requirements

FNSKU label for each product

Amazon FBA box mark on the outer box

The label uses waterproof material and is clear and scannable

IV. Customs clearance document preparation
List of necessary documents

Commercial invoice (3 copies)

Packing list

Ocean bill of lading

Product compliance documents (such as FDA, FCC, etc.)

Notes

The declared value of the product should be reasonable

HS code should be accurately attributed Category

Confirm in advance whether special certification is required

V. Transport process management
Time node control

Factory production → inspection → loading → customs declaration → shipping → customs clearance → delivery

Reserve buffer time for each link

Plan 2-3 weeks in advance during peak season

Tracking and exception handling

Regularly ask the freight forwarder for shipping schedule updates

Purchase marine insurance

Prepare emergency plans to deal with delays

VI. Warehousing skills
Shipping plan optimization

Ship in batches to reduce risks

Set the shipment quantity reasonably

Avoid creating too many LTL shipments

Handle common warehousing problems

Check ASIN and physical consistency in advance

Ensure that the label is not damaged or covered

Prepare POA to deal with possible warehousing problems

VII. Cost control strategy
Reducing Ocean freight cost method

Collective containerization to round up cubic meters

Off-season (March-May, September-October) shipment

Sign a long-term agreement with a freight forwarder

Other cost savings

Optimize packaging to reduce volume weight

Pre-declare in advance to avoid demurrage

Compare the differences in costs at different ports

VIII. Tools and resource recommendations

Practical tools

Ocean freight time query: shipping company official website

Tariff calculation: DutyCalculator

Inventory management: Inventory performance dashboard

Learning resources

Amazon Global Logistics (AGL) Guide

Official customs policies of various countries

Ocean freight white paper provided by freight forwarders

Through the above systematic ocean freight stocking strategy, you can deliver goods to Amazon warehouses more efficiently while controlling costs and reducing risks. It is recommended to record actual data after each shipment to continuously optimize your ocean freight process.