All inventory shipped to Amazon fulfillment centers must meet any of the applicable requirements found in FBA inventory requirements.
An importer of record (IOR) is usually required when shipments of your inventory enter the United States from another country. Amazon, including our fulfillment centers, will not act as an IOR for any shipment of FBA inventory. This applies to shipments of any size or value, regardless of origin and product. You may not leave this field blank on the customs entry form; this may result in the shipment being refused and returned.
The IOR is responsible for: (1) ensuring the imported shipment complies with local laws and regulations, (2) filing an entry declaration with any associated documents, and (3) paying the import duties, taxes, and fees associated with the shipment. You may also be required to obtain a customs bond as security for your imported shipments to ensure that all duties, taxes, and fees owed to the government are paid.
To learn more, go to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Reasonable Care publication.
Shipments into the United States may be entered by a non-resident (foreign) IOR. To become a non-resident IOR, please contact your customs broker or carrier for details.
For information on FBA product requirements and restrictions, go to FBA product restrictions. There may also be additional prohibitions or restrictions by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or other government agencies. To learn more, go to CBP's Prohibited and Restricted Items.
Common items that require additional permits or authorizations include the following:
Failure to comply with FBA product preparation requirements, safety requirements, and product restrictions may result in the refusal, disposal, or return of inventory upon receipt at the Amazon fulfillment center, blocking of future shipments to the fulfillment center, or charges for additional preparation or for noncompliance.
Amazon, including our fulfillment centers, will not act as the partner governmental agency (PGA) importer or consignee for your shipment. Attempting to list Amazon as the PGA importer or consignee, or using an Amazon DUNS number, may result in detentions and seizures at the border, as well as refusal, disposal, or blocking of inventory at the Amazon fulfillment center.
A customs broker can help you understand how to meet these requirements, and determine whether you need a customs bond or if your inventory is subject to an import or PGA requirement. Shipments not declared with proper PGAs will be held or seized by CBP and returned to you at your expense, or destroyed. You must also obtain a US-based agent when a PGA requires one for your inventory. For example, the Food and Drug Administration requires IORs to have a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) agent. Amazon will not act as the FSVP agent for your shipments.
Please refer to the Service Provider Network in Seller Central for companies that can provide FSVP, customs brokerage, or other import-related services.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforces several laws and regulations, including various Withhold Release Orders (WROs), which restrict the importation of specified products into the United States. Importations of products that are within the scope of these CBP enforcement mechanisms will be detained by CBP. Guidance from CBP regarding WROs and other relevant import restrictions, as well as how to respond to product detentions, are available on CBP’s website.
Customs brokers are private individuals or firms licensed by CBP to prepare and file the necessary customs entries, arrange for the payment of duties owed, arrange for the release of goods from CBP custody, and otherwise represent importers in customs matters.
See the "Locate Port of Entry" section of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to find a list of customs brokers. If you do not know your port of entry, please refer to the Service Provider Network in Seller Central. If you are using Amazon Global Logistics to ship your inventory, you may be able to retain a customs broker through the Seller Central portal.
We suggest you contact your freight forwarder, courier, or customs broker in advance of shipping any inventory in order to understand their fees and requirements.
The IOR is responsible for collecting and paying all customs duties, taxes, and fees. The amount of the customs duty, any additional taxes, and fees will depend on the value of the shipment and the products you import, also known as the tariff classification of the products. Your customs broker can assist you with determining this information.
Amazon will not be responsible for, or collect any duties, taxes, or shipping costs, associated with FBA inventory. All shipments are required to use Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), sometimes referred to as "Free Domicile," shipping terms. Any shipment arriving at an Amazon fulfillment center with collect charges, including any duties, taxes, or shipping costs, will be refused without further concession.
When shipping imported goods to an Amazon fulfillment center, the fulfillment center may be listed as the deliver-to party on your shipping documentation. Here are some examples of how this should appear on the shipping documentation:
Example 1 | Example 2 |
---|---|
Amazon.com.kydc | Amazon.com.dedc |
[Seller Legal Name] c/o FBA | [Seller Legal Name] c/o FBA |
1850 Mercer Drive | 500 McCarthy |
Lexington, KY 40511 USA | Lewisberry, PA 17339 USA |
Work closely with your customs broker to ensure that you have the proper documentation and complete information for your shipment to clear customs. Make sure that your contact information is included on the shipping documentation in case of questions regarding your shipment.
While Amazon will not serve as importer of record, PGA importer or PGA consignee, it may be listed as ultimate consignee on your customs entry documentation — but only if in care of FBA is listed before the name of the Amazon entity.
If you list Amazon as the ultimate consignee, you can use the following number as the CBP identification number: 199900-02534. This number may not be used for anything other than listing Amazon as the ultimate consignee. The number should be entered in Box 22 of the customs entry form 7501 to generally identify your shipment is being delivered to a fulfillment center. Your shipment should be physically delivered to the Amazon fulfillment center identified on the bill of lading.
Using the identification number for any other purpose may result in delays, detentions, and seizures at the border as well as refusal, disposal, or blocking of inventory at the Amazon fulfillment center.
If you are shipping inventory to our fulfillment centers that qualifies for duty-free (Section 321) entry under U.S. law, CBP requires that you provide, on your shipping manifest or customs entry filing, the name of the merchandise owner (first and last name, or company name) “in care of” the Amazon fulfillment center to which the shipment is destined. You can use the following format in the consignee field of your shipping manifest, or in the ship to field for a customs entry filed by your broker:
[Seller Legal Name] c/o FBA
Fulfillment Center Address
Please refer to CBP for additional guidance. It is your responsibility to make sure that your goods meet all requirements for duty-free entry. Please consult your carrier or customs broker for further information to make sure you are complying with all shipping and import requirements. Failure to comply with these requirements may cause delayed or denied customs clearance.
Amazon is currently unable to return inventory stored in Amazon fulfillment centers to an address outside of the United States. Furthermore, FBA does not currently support pick-up options for sellers at Amazon fulfillment centers. If you wish to have your inventory returned to you, you must supply a return address in the United States in the Create removal order form within Seller Central. For more information, see Remove inventory overview.