Amazon FBA sellers sourcing products from China can prepare their inventory before it leaves the country. Using a China-based FBA prep service can simplify product inspection, labelling, packaging, and shipment preparation before goods are sent to an Amazon fulfillment center in the United States.
This is particularly useful when purchasing from multiple Chinese suppliers and sending all your inventory to one preparation warehouse.
How Amazon FBA Prep in China Works
The process usually involves:
- Purchase from your suppliers: Order your products from Alibaba, 1688, factories, or other Chinese suppliers.
- Send goods to a China warehouse: Suppliers deliver the inventory to a designated warehouse for receiving and preparation.
- Inspect the products: The warehouse can check quantities, packaging, visible damage, and other agreed requirements.
- Apply FBA labels: Products are prepared with the appropriate Amazon barcodes and labels required for your shipment.
- Repack the products: Items can be bagged, boxed, bubble-wrapped, bundled, or otherwise prepared according to the applicable FBA requirements.
- Create and organize the shipment: Inventory is matched with the shipment information and prepared for transportation.
- Ship to Amazon: The finished cartons are transported from China to the assigned Amazon fulfillment location.
Amazon’s current guidance requires products to be properly packaged and labelled before they arrive at its US fulfillment centers. Amazon may refuse, return, or repackage inventory that does not meet applicable requirements. (Sell on Amazon)
What Does FBA Prep Include?
Depending on your product and service arrangement, China FBA preparation can include:
- Product inspection
- FNSKU or applicable barcode labelling
- Poly bagging
- Bubble wrapping
- Bundling and kitting
- Carton repacking
- Product counting
- Weight and dimension checks
- Carton labelling
- Shipment preparation
Different products have different preparation requirements, so your warehouse should follow the requirements applicable to your specific ASIN and product category.
Why Use an FBA Prep Warehouse in China?
Preparing your products in China means problems can be identified before international shipping. If labels are missing or packaging is unsuitable, it is usually easier to correct the issue while the inventory is still in China than after it reaches the United States.
It can also be useful when buying from multiple suppliers. Your different orders can arrive at one warehouse, where they are checked and organized before being shipped to Amazon.
Importantly, Amazon discontinued its own US FBA prep and item-labelling service from January 1, 2026, so sellers sending inventory to US FBA need to arrange appropriate preparation themselves or through a service provider. (Amazon Seller Central)
How Travo.ng Can Help
Travo.ng can help coordinate the logistics involved in preparing and shipping China-sourced inventory for Amazon FBA. This can include coordinating supplier deliveries, warehouse receiving, cargo consolidation, repacking, freight planning, and transportation arrangements.
If you source from several Chinese suppliers, bringing the products together at one warehouse can make it easier to inspect and organize the inventory before international shipping.
Before your suppliers dispatch the goods, provide the product details, quantities, packaging requirements, Amazon shipment information, and final fulfillment destination. Proper preparation in China can help reduce avoidable shipping and receiving problems.
