Frequently asked questions
about shipping from China

Air freight from Shenzhen to the US takes 5-8 days and costs more per kilogram. Sea freight takes 25-35 days but costs significantly less per unit, especially for heavy or bulky products. Express courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS) delivers in 3-5 days at the highest per-kg cost. Most Amazon FBA sellers use air freight for regular restocking and sea freight for large planned shipments. We quote all three options for every shipment so you can choose based on timeline and budget.

Yes. We prep and ship inventory from our Shenzhen warehouse directly to Amazon fulfillment centres in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, Canada, Australia, and the UAE. Your goods arrive FBA-compliant with FNSKU labels, poly bags, and carton labels already applied. You do not need a US address or a US-based prep centre.

Every shipment gets a tracking number uploaded to your dashboard as soon as it leaves our warehouse. For Amazon FBA shipments, tracking is auto-uploaded to Seller Central. You can see the location of every carton on our map-based tracking interface in real time, from our Shenzhen dock to Amazon's receiving bay.

Every shipment we dispatch is fully insured from our Shenzhen warehouse to its destination. If goods are lost or damaged in transit, we file the insurance claim and reimburse you directly. You do not chase carriers, fill in claim forms, or wait for extended investigations. We have handled claims from carrier strikes, port incidents, and transit damage. Every client has been reimbursed in full, typically within 14 days.

Yes, with restrictions. Lithium battery products require MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) documentation and must ship according to IATA dangerous goods regulations for air freight. Not all carriers accept lithium batteries, and shipping methods are more limited than for non-hazardous goods. We handle lithium battery shipments regularly and can advise on the correct packaging, documentation, and carrier options for your product.

On January 1, 2026, Amazon permanently discontinued all in-house FBA prep and labelling services for US inbound shipments. This includes FNSKU labelling, poly bagging, bubble wrapping, bundling, and kitting. Every FBA shipment must now arrive at Amazon fully prepped. Non-compliant shipments risk rejection, and Amazon will not reimburse for items lost or damaged if they were not properly prepped. We handle all of these prep tasks in our Shenzhen warehouse before your inventory ships. See our FBA prep service →

Amazon's March 31, 2026 commingling update means manufacturer barcodes now provide virtual tracking. Orders ship from your own inventory and returns trace back to your stock, even when using manufacturer barcodes. This reduces the need for FNSKU labels in some cases. We stay current with every Amazon policy update and adjust your prep specification accordingly. Whether you need FNSKU labels, manufacturer barcodes, or both, we apply the correct configuration for your seller account settings.

China is significantly cheaper on every line item. Our pick and pack rate is $0.99 per carton versus $2.75-$6.00 at US prep centres. FNSKU labelling is $0.15 per unit versus $0.30-$0.50 in the US. We charge zero receiving fees versus $25-$75 per pallet at most US 3PLs. You also eliminate the domestic freight cost of moving containers from a US port to a US prep centre. The total cost difference is typically 40-60% lower when prepping in China. Compare pricing in detail →

Regular FBA shipping means sending large bulk shipments directly from your manufacturer to Amazon. FBA consolidation means storing inventory in our Shenzhen warehouse at $0.49 per CBM per day and sending smaller, more frequent replenishments to Amazon as you sell through stock. Consolidation lets you avoid Amazon's long-term storage fees, reduce cash tied up in transit, and maintain more control over inventory flow. Most sellers who switch see a cost reduction in the first month.

Amazon assigns destination fulfillment centres based on your inventory allocation. If Amazon splits your shipment across multiple warehouses, you pay inbound placement fees. You can reduce these by choosing Amazon-optimised placement in your shipping plan, which sends inventory to a single Amazon location. We help structure your FBA shipping plans to minimise placement fees based on current Amazon policy.

Yes. We ship prepped FBA inventory from Shenzhen directly to Amazon fulfillment centres in the US and worldwide. You do not need a US company, a US address, or a US-based prep centre. Many of our clients are based in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. You need a valid Amazon Seller account and an importer of record for the destination country. For DDP shipments, we handle the import clearance.

We charge $0.49 per CBM per day ($14.70 per CBM per month). Amazon charges $30.72 per CBM per month from January to September, and $84.74 per CBM per month during Q4 (October-December). On a full 40ft container equivalent (58 CBM), the annual saving of storing with us versus Amazon is over $20,550.

Yes. Multiple suppliers can deliver to our single Shenzhen warehouse address. We receive, count, and QC each delivery separately, then combine everything into one consolidated outbound shipment. Zero receiving fees regardless of how many suppliers deliver or how often. This saves both shipping cost and coordination time compared to managing each supplier's shipment independently.

Yes. Your suppliers can be anywhere in China. Domestic freight to our Shenzhen warehouse typically takes 2-3 days and is arranged by your supplier as part of their delivery terms. In many cases, delivering to us is cheaper for the supplier than FOB port delivery because we handle all export documentation.

We count every delivery against your purchase order when it arrives. If the quantity is wrong, the products don't match your specification, or there are visible defects, we document everything with photos and flag the discrepancy to you the same day. Because we are in Shenzhen, returns and replacements happen within days. This is one of the core reasons sellers use a China-based 3PL instead of shipping direct from factory to Amazon.

Shenzhen sits directly adjacent to Yantian and Shekou ports — two of China's busiest container export terminals. This means faster container loading, shorter domestic trucking, and lower origin charges. Yiwu-based warehouses are 6-8 hours from the nearest comparable port by truck, which adds both time and cost to every shipment. Shenzhen also has faster access to major air freight terminals and DHL, FedEx, and UPS courier hubs.

Chinese New Year typically falls in January or February. Most Chinese factories shut down for 2-4 weeks. We stay operational with a reduced team during the holiday. The real impact is on factory production, not warehouse operations. The best approach: place production orders 6-8 weeks before CNY and have finished goods in our warehouse before the holiday starts. We help clients build CNY inventory plans every year.

Yes. Our facility is in Longhua New District, Shenzhen. Contact us to arrange a visit. We can walk you through the operation, show you how inventory is stored and processed, and introduce you to the team who will manage your account. Many long-term clients visited before committing. Arrange a visit →

Your Shopify store connects to our warehouse management system via API. When a customer places an order, it syncs to our system automatically. We pick, pack, and ship the order. The tracking number uploads back to Shopify and your customer gets a shipping notification. Inventory levels sync in both directions so your store always shows accurate stock. No manual CSV uploads or copy-pasting addresses. See our ecommerce fulfillment service →

We support multi-channel fulfillment from a single inventory pool. You can sell on Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, WooCommerce, and other platforms simultaneously. Orders from all channels sync to our system and are fulfilled from the same warehouse stock. This avoids split inventory and reduces overselling risk.

For DTC orders, the package shows your brand name as the sender. We use your branded packaging if you provide it — custom boxes, poly mailers, tissue, inserts, tape. Customs declarations are attached to the outside of the parcel, which may indicate the origin country. For most ecommerce products, this is not a concern. For Amazon FBA, the package ships from Amazon's warehouse, so the China origin is not visible at all.

Yes. Customer returns can be received at our Shenzhen warehouse. We inspect returned items, photograph them, and restock or dispose per your instructions. Your account manager coordinates the process. Return shipping from the customer's country to China is arranged separately depending on your return policy.

We integrate with Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon Seller Central, eBay, and Etsy. We also support automation tools like AutoDS and DSers for dropshipping workflows. API access is available for custom integrations. Orders sync automatically, tracking numbers upload back to your store, and inventory levels stay in sync across all connected channels.

COD means your customer pays the courier in cash (or mobile wallet, or POS card) when the package arrives at their door. We ship COD orders from our Shenzhen warehouse to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Local couriers collect payment, pool the funds, and we settle to your account on a weekly cycle. COD is the default payment method for hundreds of millions of shoppers in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. See our COD service →

DDP stands for Delivered Duty Paid. We handle everything from our warehouse door to Amazon's receiving dock or your customer's door: export clearance, international shipping, destination customs clearance, and import duties. You pay one all-inclusive price. DDP is the standard for Amazon FBA shipments from China because Amazon requires goods to arrive with all duties pre-paid.

For DDP shipments, we handle duty calculation and payment as part of the all-in shipping price. For other terms, you need an importer of record in the destination country. US import duties on Chinese goods vary by product category and current tariff policy. We provide HTS code classification and can advise on duty rates, but we recommend consulting a customs broker or trade attorney for tariff planning on high-value product categories.

For a standard shipment, you need a commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading (for sea) or air waybill (for air). We prepare all export documentation on our side. On the import side, you need an importer of record and the correct HTS codes for your products. For DDP shipments, we handle customs clearance and documentation in the destination country as well.

No. Many of our clients are based in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. We ship directly from China to Amazon FBA warehouses worldwide. You do not need a US address, a US warehouse, or a US-based prep centre. All export documentation, customs clearance, and FBA compliance is handled from our Shenzhen facility.

Yes. There are no minimum order quantities, no minimum volume requirements, and no lock-in contracts. Many sellers start with a test shipment of 50-200 units to see how the process works. Your first 30 days of storage are free. We handle test shipments with the same process as large-scale operations, so what you see on a test run is exactly what you get at volume.

No setup fees, no account fees, no lock-in contracts, and no minimum volumes. You pay per shipment, per order, or per unit depending on the service. Storage is $0.49 per CBM per day with the first 30 days free. If you stop using our service, there are no cancellation fees.

Most new clients are operational within 3-5 business days of their first consultation. Setup involves connecting your store or marketplace account, receiving your first inventory delivery, and running a test shipment. The first 30 days of warehouse storage are free for all new customers with no conditions. Get started →

Standard processing is within 24 hours of receiving the order. For FBA prep, standard turnaround is 24-48 hours after inventory arrives at our warehouse. Same-day rush processing is available for urgent shipments.