Short answer: to sell on Amazon UK with products from China, choose a product you can legally sell in the UK, find a reliable supplier, check UK product safety and labelling rules, inspect the goods and prepare barcodes and cartons for Amazon before they leave China. Then ship by sea or air, clear UK customs and send the stock to Amazon’s fulfilment centres through Seller Central. Most problems with FBA shipments start with poor preparation in China.
This guide is written by our team in Yiwu, China, where we source, check and prepare goods for Amazon sellers in the UK, Ireland and across Europe.
Important: Amazon policies, UK product rules, duty and VAT depend on your product and can change. We recommend consulting a UK customs broker and an accountant before you import and start selling.
Why UK sellers source from China for Amazon
- Margins: buying directly from factories usually lowers your cost per unit.
- Private label: many suppliers can add your logo, packaging and inserts.
- Choice: the Yiwu market, 1688 and Alibaba offer products for almost every Amazon category.
- Scaling: once a product works, reordering larger quantities is straightforward.
How FBA from China works: the full route
| Stage | Where | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sourcing and samples | China | Find suppliers, compare samples, agree price and packaging |
| 2. Production | Factory | Goods are made with your branding and labels |
| 3. Inspection and prep | Factory or warehouse in China | Quality check, barcodes, polybags, carton labels |
| 4. Shipping | China to UK | Sea or air freight with export documents |
| 5. Customs | UK port or airport | Import declaration, duty and import VAT |
| 6. Delivery to Amazon | UK | Cartons are delivered to the fulfilment centre named in your shipment plan |
Step 1. Choose a product and supplier
For a first FBA product, choose something light, not fragile and not heavily regulated. Electrical items, toys, cosmetics and children’s products are possible, but they need more documents and testing. Compare two or three suppliers and order samples before you commit.
Ready-made products are often cheapest on 1688, while Alibaba is easier for buyers who want to deal directly in English. Read 1688 vs Alibaba vs Taobao to choose the right platform for your order.
Step 2. Check UK product rules and labelling
Products sold to consumers in Great Britain must be safe and correctly labelled. Depending on the product type, it may need UKCA or CE marking, a declaration of conformity and test reports. Many product types also need the details of a UK-based manufacturer, importer or responsible person on the product or packaging. Amazon can ask for these documents before or after your listing goes live.
- product name, model or batch number and manufacturer details;
- UK importer or responsible person details where required;
- instructions and warnings in English;
- the right conformity marking and documents for your product type.
Rules for Northern Ireland follow EU product rules for many goods, so check both if you sell there. If you are not sure which rules apply, ask a compliance specialist before production.
Step 3. Inspect the goods before shipping
Defective stock leads to returns, negative reviews and account health problems. A pre-shipment inspection checks quantity, appearance, function, labels and packaging while the supplier can still fix problems. See our guide to quality inspection in China for what to include in your checklist.
Step 4. Prepare stock for Amazon in China
Amazon fulfilment centres can refuse or delay shipments that do not follow their packaging and labelling rules. Preparing everything in China is usually faster and cheaper than doing it in the UK:
- FNSKU or manufacturer barcode on every unit;
- polybags with suffocation warnings, bubble wrap or sets labelled as sets where needed;
- cartons within Amazon’s size and weight limits;
- FBA box labels from your shipment plan on every carton;
- a packing list and commercial invoice that match the cartons exactly.
If you buy from several suppliers, the goods can be delivered to one warehouse in China, checked, labelled and combined into a single shipment. See real examples on our work samples page.
Step 5. Ship to the UK: sea or air
| Method | Best for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Sea freight | Regular stock, larger orders, lower cost per unit | Several weeks in transit, plan stock early |
| Air freight | First test orders, urgent restocks, light products | Faster but more expensive per kilo |
Many sellers send a small first batch by air to test the listing, then move to sea freight for regular stock. For a detailed comparison, read Shipping from China to the UK: sea freight vs air freight.
Step 6. UK customs, duty and VAT
When the goods arrive, they are cleared through UK customs. You need a GB EORI number, and the importer pays customs duty under the UK Global Tariff and import VAT to HMRC. Amazon is not the importer of record for your goods, so make sure your shipment has an importer and a customs broker arranged before it leaves China. Duty depends on the product’s commodity code, so ask your broker to confirm it before you order.
Step 7. Deliver to the Amazon fulfilment centre
Create the shipment plan in Seller Central before the goods are shipped, so cartons can be labelled in China. After customs clearance, the cartons are delivered to the fulfilment centre named in your plan. Some sellers first send stock to a UK warehouse and replenish Amazon in smaller batches, which can help with storage limits and fees. Check Amazon’s current inbound rules in Seller Central.
Selling in Ireland too? Read our guide on how to sell on Amazon.ie with products from China.
Common FBA mistakes with products from China
- Choosing a product without the right UK safety documents.
- No UK importer or responsible person details on the packaging.
- Barcodes or carton labels applied incorrectly or missing.
- Shipping without an arranged importer of record and customs broker.
- Skipping the inspection and receiving defective units.
- Calculating profit without shipping, duty, VAT and Amazon fees.
How SilkwayMall helps Amazon UK sellers
We are a sourcing agent based in Yiwu with our own warehouse in China and an office in the EU. For Amazon UK sellers we:
- find suppliers, compare samples and negotiate with factories;
- inspect goods and send you photos and videos;
- apply FNSKU barcodes, polybags and FBA carton labels;
- consolidate goods from several suppliers into one shipment;
- arrange sea or air freight to the UK.
Read more about our sourcing services for Amazon, eBay and Allegro sellers, see how our fees work on the price page, or send us your product idea through our contact form.
FAQ: Amazon UK FBA from China
Can my supplier ship directly to an Amazon UK warehouse?
Yes, if the goods are correctly labelled and an importer of record and customs clearance are arranged. Many sellers prefer to check and prepare the goods in a warehouse in China first.
Can FNSKU labels be applied in China?
Yes. Barcodes, polybags and carton labels can be applied in China before shipping, which is usually cheaper than paying for prep in the UK.
Should I ship FBA stock by sea or air?
Sea freight suits regular stock and lowers the cost per unit. Air freight is useful for samples, test orders and urgent restocks.
Do I need a UK responsible person?
Many product types need the details of a UK-based economic operator on the product or packaging. Check the rules for your product category before production.
Do I need a customs broker?
Most sellers use one. A UK customs broker submits the import declaration, confirms the commodity code and helps you avoid delays. An accountant can advise on VAT.
Related guides
- How to sell on Amazon.ie with products from China: a guide for Irish sellers
- Shipping from China to the UK: sea freight vs air freight
- Quality inspection in China: how to check goods before shipping to Ireland & the UK
- 1688 vs Alibaba vs Taobao: which should a UK or Irish business use?
- How to import furniture from China to Ireland and the UK
- Landed cost from China: how to calculate the full cost of importing to Ireland, the UK and the EU
This guide is for general information only. Amazon policies, product, customs and tax rules can change and depend on your goods, so we recommend consulting a UK customs broker and an accountant before you import.