FLEX. Fulfillment
We provide logistics services to online retailers in Europe: Amazon FBA prep, processing FBA removal orders, forwarding to Fulfillment Centers - both FBA and Vendor shipments.
This guide covers how to ship inventory to Amazon EU FBA from outside Europe — from choosing a freight mode to clearing customs in Germany and getting stock into Amazon fulfilment centres. It is written for sellers in the UK, US, Hong Kong, Australia and elsewhere who are shipping to EU FBA for the first time or optimising an existing inbound setup. It covers sea freight, air freight, customs clearance, the role of a prep centre, and realistic timelines and costs.
Shipping Options
Three main modes: sea freight (most used for bulk restocks), air freight (for urgent or small shipments), and express courier (DHL Express, FedEx, UPS — for very small volumes or samples). Sea freight splits into FCL (Full Container Load — you book an entire container) and LCL (Less than Container Load — your cargo shares space with other shippers). Most established FBA sellers use sea freight for regular restocks and air freight for urgent top-ups or new product launches. Express courier is rarely cost-effective above 50 to 100 kilograms. The right choice depends on your volume, urgency, and product value.
FCL means you book an entire container — 20ft (approximately 25–28 CBM usable) or 40ft (approximately 55–60 CBM usable). Your cargo travels alone, is not handled mid-transit, and generally arrives faster and at lower risk of damage. FCL makes sense above roughly 10–12 CBM of cargo. LCL means your cargo shares a container with other shippers' goods. It is consolidated at origin and deconsolidated at destination — adding 3 to 7 days to the timeline and increasing handling. LCL typically costs more per CBM than FCL at high volumes but is more practical for smaller shipments of 1 to 8 CBM. For FBA sellers, LCL is common for smaller restocks between full container shipments.
Technically possible but strongly discouraged for non-EU sellers. Amazon FCs are receiving warehouses, not prep facilities — they are not set up to handle shipments that arrive without correct FNSKU labelling, EU pallet specification (80×120cm Euro pallets, not 40×48 inch US pallets), GPSR-compliant packaging, or compliant box content labels. Shipments that arrive non-compliant are rejected, held, or charged significant non-compliance fees. You also have no EU address on the shipment, which creates customs clearance complications. The correct route for non-EU sellers is to ship to a prep centre in the EU first. FBA prep centre in France and Germany handle the full inbound workflow before goods move to Amazon.
Air Freight
Air freight makes sense in four scenarios: (1) urgent stock replenishment where a stockout is imminent and you cannot wait 35 to 45 days for sea freight; (2) a first small test shipment before committing to a full container; (3) high-value, low-weight products where the air freight cost per unit is acceptable relative to the selling price; (4) seasonal products where missing the sales window would cost more than the air freight premium. Air freight costs 6 to 10 times more per kilogram than sea freight. At typical Asia-Europe rates of EUR 5 to EUR 9 per kilogram, a 500 kilogram air shipment costs EUR 2,500 to EUR 4,500 — compare that to a full container sea freight shipment where per-unit cost is usually under EUR 0.30.
For commercial air freight, individual pieces typically have a maximum weight of 250 to 300 kilograms and a maximum size of approximately 300×200×150cm — but limits vary by airline and routing. However, FBA box requirements are the more practical constraint: Amazon requires boxes sent to EU FCs to weigh no more than 23 kilograms (50 lbs) and not exceed 63.5cm on any side for standard-size products. Air freight shipments to FLEX. are received and prepped to FBA box specification before being forwarded to Amazon, so factory pack configurations that exceed FBA limits can be corrected at the prep stage.
Sea Freight
Current transit times: Shanghai or Shenzhen to Hamburg approximately 38 to 46 days (Cape of Good Hope routing, in effect since late 2023 due to Red Sea disruption). Hong Kong to Hamburg approximately 36 to 42 days. These are vessel transit times only — add 2 to 5 days for factory-to-port trucking at origin, 1 to 2 days for port-to-prep-centre drayage at destination, 3 to 5 days for customs clearance, and 2 to 5 days for prep work. Total door-to-FC timeline for a sea freight shipment from China is currently 50 to 65 days. Plan replenishment orders accordingly. Amazon FBA forwarding in Europe handles the last-mile FC delivery once goods are prepped.
Wilhelmshaven (JadeWeserPort) is Germany's only deep-water container port — it can receive the largest vessels (18,000+ TEU Ultra Large Container Vessels) without the draft restrictions that limit Hamburg. It is less congested than Hamburg during peak vessel clustering periods, which reduces dwell time and drayage delays. FLEX. has warehousing close to Wilhelmshaven, giving a short drayage leg from port to prep centre. Major Asia-Europe services from Hapag-Lloyd, MSC and Hamburg Süd call at Wilhelmshaven, making it a practical alternative for container importers targeting FLEX.'s German prep operations. Forwarding to Amazon in Germany from FLEX.'s German locations covers both Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven inbound.
A freight forwarder manages the logistics chain between your factory and your EU destination: booking container space or air capacity, arranging factory pickup, preparing export documentation (bill of lading, export declaration), managing customs clearance at the EU port of entry, and delivering to your prep centre. You do not strictly need one — but you should use one for any shipment above express courier size. Managing sea freight bookings, customs brokerage, and container tracking directly with shipping lines is time-consuming and requires specialist knowledge. Most non-EU FBA sellers use their freight forwarder end-to-end, from factory to prep centre. FLEX. works with freight forwarders regularly and can recommend partners for your origin country on request.
Customs Clearance
The standard document set for EU customs clearance: a commercial invoice (including declared value, HS codes, incoterm, full seller and buyer details, country of origin), a packing list (box count, weights, dimensions, contents per box), and the transport document (bill of lading for sea, air waybill for air). Additional documents required in specific cases: MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for hazmat products including lithium batteries, CE declaration for regulated product categories, phytosanitary certificate for certain goods of plant origin. Missing or incorrect documentation is the most common cause of customs clearance delays — particularly wrong or missing HS codes and undervalued commercial invoices.
EU import duty rates depend on the product's HS (Harmonised System) commodity code and the country of origin. Rates range from 0% for most electronics to 12% for textiles and up to 17% for some footwear. Duty is calculated on the CIF customs value — the cost of the goods plus insurance plus freight to the EU border. In addition to customs duty, import VAT (19% in Germany, 20% in France, 23% in Poland) is charged on the CIF value plus duty. Import VAT is reclaimable through your EU VAT registration — it is a cash flow cost, not a permanent cost. Customs duty is not reclaimable. For anti-dumping duties on certain Chinese-origin products (solar panels, certain steel, some consumer goods), check the EU TARIC database before importing. The EU VAT and import duty guide covers import VAT recovery in detail.
DAP (Delivered at Place) is the most practical incoterm for shipping to a EU prep centre as a non-EU seller: the freight forwarder delivers the goods to FLEX.'s address, customs is cleared at the EU port, and you (or your customs agent) are the importer of record. This keeps the import VAT in your name, allowing you to reclaim it through your EU VAT registration. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means the supplier or forwarder handles customs — convenient, but the import VAT certificate is in the forwarder's name, making reclaim difficult. FOB (Free on Board) is common at origin but means you arrange all destination logistics yourself. DAP with your own customs broker handling clearance is the recommended structure. The EU VAT and import duty guide explains import VAT reclaim in detail.
Yes — FLEX. works with licensed customs agents in Germany, Poland and France. To use this service you appoint FLEX. or the nominated customs agent as your customs declarant and provide a power of attorney. You also need an EU EORI number (Economic Operators Registration and Identification number — obtainable in your chosen EU country, takes 2 to 4 weeks). Duties and VAT are paid by the importer of record — either you directly or your fiscal representative. FLEX.'s customs service covers standard commercial imports; unusual or complex cargo (restricted goods, high-value items requiring additional certification) may require specialist customs handling. See the guide to customs clearance for ecommerce sellers in Germany for more detail.
Inbound to Prep Centre
On arrival, FLEX. performs a receiving check: unit count verified against the packing list, visual inspection for damage, photo report generated and sent to you if discrepancies or damage are found. Units are logged into FLEX.'s WMS (warehouse management system) and you are notified of receipt. Prep work begins according to your pre-submitted instructions — FNSKU labelling, poly-bagging, bubble-wrapping, palletising. You can see real-time inventory status through the myFLEX portal. If there are compliance issues (missing GPSR labels, incorrect barcodes), FLEX. flags these before forwarding rather than forwarding non-compliant goods. FBA prep centre in Europe covers the full inbound workflow in detail.
Send FLEX. the following before your shipment departs origin: an advance packing list with SKU identifiers, units per box, and box dimensions and gross weights; your Amazon inbound shipment plan ID from Seller Central; FNSKU labels or confirmation that EAN barcodes will be used; any special handling instructions (fragile, this side up, hazmat classification); and GPSR labelling requirements — responsible person sticker artwork and batch/lot numbers. The earlier this information arrives, the more efficiently FLEX. can schedule receiving, prepare workstation setup, and book the FC appointment. Last-minute information causes delays regardless of freight transit time.
Standard FBA prep services at FLEX. include: FNSKU label printing and application, poly-bagging (required for clothing, shoes, fragile items, and products with loose parts), bubble-wrap or foam protection for fragile items, sticker removal or overstickering for non-compliant existing labels, kitting and bundling where multiple units are sold as a set, reboxing where original packaging does not meet FBA requirements, box content labelling (required for all FBA boxes), and palletising to EU standard (80×120cm Euro pallet, max 1.5m height). Amazon FBA prep in Germany covers each prep service with specific requirements and pricing.
Forwarding to Fulfillment Centers
Once prep is complete, FLEX. creates or updates your Amazon inbound shipment plan in Seller Central, books a Carrier Central appointment at the destination FC, and dispatches via the appropriate carrier: LTL (less-than-truckload) for pallet shipments, express parcel carrier for small parcel shipments. Appointment booking lead times vary by FC — typically 3 to 10 business days from booking to available slot. FLEX. tracks the shipment through to FC receipt and alerts you if Amazon raises any receiving discrepancies. Forwarding to Amazon in Germany covers the full forwarding workflow.
FLEX. ships to any Amazon FC across the EU as directed by your Seller Central shipment plan. Commonly served German FCs include FRA3 (Bad Hersfeld), LEJ1 and LEJ2 (Leipzig), and DUS2 (Rheinberg). In France: LYS8 and CDG3. In Poland: WRO1, WRO5 and KTW1. Amazon's placement algorithm determines which FC your shipment is directed to — FLEX. books the appointment at whatever FC Amazon assigns, not a fixed location. If you are using Minimal Shipment Splits, your shipment plan may direct goods to one or two FCs; under standard placement, Amazon may split across multiple. Forwarding to Amazon in Europe covers multi-FC forwarding logistics.
Costs and Timelines
Working through each stage: factory-to-port trucking at origin 2 to 5 days; sea transit China-Hamburg 38 to 46 days (current Cape routing); port-to-prep-centre drayage 1 to 2 days; customs clearance 3 to 5 days; prep work at FLEX. 2 to 5 days depending on volume and complexity; FC appointment booking and transit 3 to 7 days. Total realistic timeline: 50 to 70 days from factory gate to FBA availability. For planning purposes, use 60 days as a working estimate and add a 10-day buffer for disruption. Air freight reduces the sea transit to 3 to 5 days but still requires customs clearance and prep, giving a door-to-FC timeline of approximately 12 to 20 days.
Sea freight rates are volatile. As a reference benchmark: Asia-Hamburg rates in 2026 have ranged from approximately EUR 2,500 to EUR 6,000 per 20ft container depending on season, carrier, and current market conditions (Red Sea disruption and Cape rerouting have kept rates elevated). Add to the freight rate: port handling charges at Hamburg approximately EUR 200 to EUR 400, customs clearance approximately EUR 150 to EUR 300, drayage from Hamburg to the prep centre approximately EUR 400 to EUR 650, and FLEX. prep costs which depend on the prep services required. Total inbound cost per unit on a well-loaded 20ft container (roughly 10,000 to 15,000 standard-size units) typically runs EUR 0.40 to EUR 1.20 per unit depending on freight rates and prep complexity.
Work backwards from your reorder point: take your daily sales velocity per ASIN, multiply by your total lead time (factory production time + sea transit + prep + FC receiving — currently 60 to 75 days total for China sea freight), and add a safety stock buffer of 10 to 15 days of sales. Reorder point = (daily sales × lead time days) + safety stock. Example: 20 units per day × 65 days lead time + 15 days safety stock = reorder at 1,500 units FBA inventory. Most non-EU sellers review replenishment weekly and keep a pre-Amazon buffer at FLEX. to bridge the gap between FBA restock limits and total inventory. Pre-Amazon storage in Germany at FLEX. holds your buffer stock between replenishment cycles.
Related Services
Services covering the full inbound journey from outside Europe to Amazon EU FCs:
- FBA prep centre in Europe — receiving, GPSR checks, FNSKU labelling, palletising
- Amazon FBA prep in Germany — single-unit and bulk prep at FLEX.'s German location
- Amazon FBA forwarding in Europe — FC appointment booking and last-mile delivery
- Customs clearance for ecommerce sellers in Germany — import documentation and EU customs entry
- Pre-Amazon storage in Germany — buffer inventory between replenishment cycles
Located in the center of Europe, FLEX. Fulfillment provides FBA prep, customs clearance, pre-Amazon storage and FC forwarding for non-EU sellers shipping inventory to Amazon EU from the UK, US, Hong Kong and Australia.
Get in touch for a free quote and assessment tailored to your inbound shipping and FBA prep requirements.