International shipping, everything you need to know to do it with Amazon and make a profit.

As we have repeatedly reminded our customers, one of the great benefits of Amazon is the ability to sell to international customers from a single platform, with competitive conditions. But do you know exactly how international shipping works?

In this guide, we have tried to clarify international shipping, based on what is expected by the marketplace, while also adding some best practices that we suggest you keep in mind.

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How to Sell Internationally on Amazon

First of all, we remind you that Amazon has dedicated many guides to this topic. On the website, you will find useful informational material.

With that said, the first thing you need to do if you want to sell and ship on Amazon is obviously to decide where and what to sell.

As you know, international sales on Amazon are a great opportunity for your business. As such, we recommend that you conduct a preliminary analysis of:

• where you can sell
• what requirements you need to meet
• which entry strategies to use for a new marketplace.

Regarding the first point, we remind you that Amazon manages 16 different marketplaces around the world. Of these, 6 are in Europe, 4 in Asia-Pacific, 2 in the Middle East, and 4 in the Americas.

Each of these marketplaces offers significant e-commerce opportunities. Therefore, you can easily expand internationally, no matter where you are located.

When you register to sell on one of these marketplaces, you can reach millions of new potential customers and take advantage of the Amazon brand and its strong reputation.

If you’re worried about overcoming the language barriers of the new marketplace, be aware that Amazon offers a series of services and tools that can help you overcome linguistic obstacles.

As for regulations, our advice is definitely to use a tax and legal consulting service before making decisions on how to sell on other marketplaces, in order to avoid undesirable violations of the regulatory obligations of the destination country of your sales.

Publishing Your Products on the International Marketplace

Once you’ve defined your international sales strategy, you can proceed with publishing your products on the marketplace.

Again, once you have all the necessary information, the process is relatively simple. You can use the tools provided by Amazon to manage your seller accounts and all your sales listings globally.

The international listing creation tool will allow you to sell globally by adding listings and syncing prices across various marketplaces.

However, remember that account registration requirements in certain markets, such as Japan or North America, may differ.

If you have any doubts, we recommend returning to the suggestion in the previous paragraph and checking what the platforms require.

Shipping Products Abroad

This brings us to the central point of our guide: How do you ship products abroad?

The first thing you can do is handle it yourself.

Seller-Managed International Shipping

If you choose to ship the products to international buyers yourself, you will need to organize international shipping by finding a carrier that can ensure this service.

Identify a carrier with the right professionalism in handling international shipments and that can act as an intermediary for the fiscal aspects, collecting any duties at the time of delivery.

As for costs, each carrier has its own pricing policies. The costs will depend on:

• size and weight of products and packaging
• delivery times
• origin and destination locations

In addition to these costs, there may also be taxes and customs duties. Amazon is not responsible for such charges, which is why shipments arriving at an Amazon fulfillment center with customs duties due will be returned to the sender.

Finally, remember that processing an international order takes longer than fulfilling a domestic shipment. Therefore, you should clearly indicate the delivery times for different destinations in your product listing.

Amazon-Managed International Shipping

An alternative and more convenient way to handle international orders is to use Amazon’s Fulfillment service for the country where the marketplace is located and where you want to list your products.

The process is quite simple. What you need to do is send your products to the Amazon fulfillment center designated for the destination country.

The only exception in this case is European sales. If you are selling on one of the European marketplaces and use Amazon Fulfillment to manage your sales from that marketplace, you can fulfill your orders from other EU marketplaces using your Amazon logistics account through the Pan-European program, the European logistics network, or international inventory.

10 Tips to Improve Your International Shipments with Amazon

As we’ve seen, shipping products internationally with Amazon is simpler than it may seem.

But what are the tips you should keep in mind to make these processes more effective?

We’ve summarized them below!

Optimize Packaging

Use sturdy and appropriately sized packaging for the product, minimizing volume to optimize shipping costs directly to customers or to the Amazon fulfillment center.

Ensure that the packaging meets international regulations and use appropriate filler materials to protect the contents.

Follow Customs Regulations

Study the customs restrictions of the destination countries carefully and prepare the necessary documentation correctly.

Always remember to check duties and taxes in advance and keep your database of regulations updated for each country, seeking expert advice if needed.

Manage Labels Properly

Apply clear labels with all the required information for international shipments. Use visible barcodes and tracking numbers and ensure that the labels comply with international standards.

Try to use robust labels, knowing that they will likely face more handling than domestic shipments.

Strategically Use the FBA Process

Use the FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) service strategically by distributing your inventory across different fulfillment centers as needed. Regularly monitor stock levels and take advantage of the Pan-European FBA program when possible.

Manage Returns Efficiently

Develop and communicate a clear and transparent return policy, setting up a system to handle international returns.

Offer fast and reliable refund options and analyze the reasons for returns to improve service.

Monitor Performance

Track delivery times and ensure adherence to the announced and communicated timeframes. Analyze customer feedback and monitor damage rates.

Optimize Costs

Periodically compare the different shipping options available to you and try to negotiate preferential and customized rates with carriers.

Consider insurance for high-value shipments and accurately calculate margins by including all costs.

Improve Communication with Customers

Always provide precise delivery time information. Proactively communicate any delays and offer multilingual support across all the main marketplaces where you are selling.

Manage Seasonality

Plan ahead for sales cycles to handle peak periods, such as year-end. Maintain adequate stock during critical periods and adjust shipping strategies according to the season.

Automate Processes

Finally, implement order management software and use automated systems for label generation, simplifying ordinary procedures.

Integrate tracking systems and automate customer communications to make them faster and more efficient.