Shipping from India to Amazon FBA USA

Shipping from India to Amazon FBA USA: the complete 2026 guide

To ship inventory from India to an Amazon FBA warehouse in the USA, you need export clearance from India, ocean or air freight to a US port, US customs entry with duties paid, Amazon-compliant labelling and packing, and a booked delivery appointment at the fulfilment centre. Most sellers use DDP terms so the freight partner handles US duties and delivers direct to the warehouse.

Indian sellers have now shipped over $20 billion of goods through Amazon's global selling programme, and Amazon is targeting $80 billion by 2030. Freight is the part most new sellers get wrong.

Step 1: Choose your Incoterm before anything else

For FBA, this decision drives everything else.

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means your freight partner pays US customs duties and delivers to the fulfilment centre. You get one price and one invoice.

DAP (Delivered at Place) means duties are payable on arrival by the importer of record. Amazon will not act as importer of record for your goods, so someone on your side has to.

Most Indian FBA sellers use DDP. It removes the risk of stock sitting at a US port while somebody works out who pays the duty.

Step 2: Pick ocean or air

Ocean freight from India to the US west coast typically runs 30 to 40 days port to port, longer to the east coast. Air freight runs 5 to 10 days door to warehouse.

Ocean is the default for planned restocks. Air makes sense when you are about to run out of stock, because an out-of-stock listing loses ranking, and lost ranking costs more than the freight difference.

A practical approach many sellers use: ship the bulk by ocean, and send a small air shipment to cover the gap.

Step 3: Get the labelling right

This is where shipments fail.

Every unit needs an FNSKU label unless you are enrolled in Amazon's manufacturer barcode programme. Every carton needs an Amazon shipment label generated from your shipping plan in Seller Central. Cartons also need standard shipping marks.

Amazon applies limits on carton weight and dimensions, and cartons over the weight threshold need a team lift label. These limits change, so check current requirements in Seller Central before you pack. A carton that breaches them can be refused at the door.

Step 4: US customs entry

Your shipment needs a US customs entry filed against an importer of record. If you are shipping DDP, your freight partner arranges this.

For ocean shipments, an Importer Security Filing must be submitted before the cargo is loaded in India. Late filing carries penalties.

You will also need to confirm the correct HS classification for your product. Duty rates vary widely between categories, and a wrong classification means either an unexpected bill or a delay while customs queries it.

Step 5: Book the delivery appointment

Amazon fulfilment centres do not accept walk-in deliveries. Your carrier needs a booked appointment. Turning up without one means the truck is turned away and you pay for redelivery.

What actually goes wrong

In our experience the same five issues cause most FBA problems:

1. Wrong or missing FNSKU labels
2. Cartons over Amazon's weight or size limits
3. Pallets built outside specification
4. No delivery appointment booked
5. DAP terms used by mistake, leaving stock stuck at US customs

Every one of these is preventable before the cargo leaves India.

How long should you plan for?

Work backwards from the date you need stock live.

For an ocean shipment, allow around a week for pickup and export clearance in India, 30 to 40 days at sea, up to a week for US clearance and delivery, then several days for Amazon to receive and check in the stock. Roughly seven to eight weeks door to live listing.

For air, the same journey compresses to around two to three weeks.

Peak season tightens all of this. If your stock needs to be live for Q4, bookings should be made well before September.

Frequently asked questions

Can I ship directly from my factory in India to Amazon FBA?
Yes. A freight partner can collect from your factory anywhere in India, handle export clearance, ship, clear US customs and deliver into the fulfilment centre.

Do I need a US company to sell on Amazon USA?
No, but you do need an importer of record for customs entry. Under DDP terms your freight partner handles this.

What happens if Amazon rejects my shipment?
The cargo has to be collected, corrected and redelivered, at your cost. Prevention is much cheaper than correction, which is why labelling and packing should be checked before despatch.

Is air freight worth it for FBA?
When you are close to a stockout, usually yes. Lost search ranking is harder to recover than the extra freight cost.

Which Indian categories are growing fastest on Amazon?
Health and personal care, home and kitchen, and toys and games have all shown strong year on year growth for Indian sellers.

Shipping to Amazon USA?

Uni Traans Log handles FBA shipments from anywhere in India, with our own team on the US side. Pickup, clearance, DDP delivery and the warehouse appointment, all under one roof.

Talk to us about your next restock
business@utlgroup.in   +91 7400155630