Pallet shipping from China to Amazon FBA: specs, appointments, and oversized freight
Amazon FBA · Updated
Palletized freight is how larger FBA restocks from China move: sea freight to a US port, customs clearance, then LTL or FTL trucking to the fulfillment center against a delivery appointment. Two rule sets apply at once. Amazon enforces the pallet spec: standard 40 x 48 inch wooden pallets, stacked within Amazon's height and weight limits, each with pallet labels. US customs enforces ISPM-15: imported wood pallets must be heat-treated and stamped, or the shipment can be held or refused at the border.
This guide covers both rule sets, how fulfillment-center delivery appointments work, when to palletize versus floor-load a container, and what changes when the products themselves are oversized.
Key takeaways
- --Two rule sets apply to China-to-FBA pallets: Amazon's 40 x 48 spec with height/weight limits, and customs' ISPM-15 heat-treatment stamp on all wooden pallets.
- --Palletized LTL/FTL deliveries to Amazon require a carrier appointment; assign who books it before the goods land.
- --Floor-load the ocean leg for density, palletize at a US warehouse for the Amazon delivery: the common best-of-both pattern.
- --IPPC stamps cost nothing to verify at loading and prevent a border hold; photograph them before the container closes.
- --Oversized products change the plan before freight books: size tier drives FBA fees, eligible warehouses, and the sea-over-air decision.
The pallet spec Amazon expects
- Standard 40 x 48 inch (1.0 x 1.2 m) four-way wooden pallets in usable condition.
- Stack height and per-pallet weight within Amazon's published limits for the destination fulfillment center; overweight or overheight pallets can be refused at the dock.
- Pallet labels on each pallet plus carton labels from your Amazon shipment plan; cartons stacked flush, no overhang, stretch-wrapped.
- No mixed-SKU chaos: follow your shipment plan's carton assignments so receiving does not stall.
Amazon publishes the current limits in Seller Central's routing and delivery requirements; confirm them when the shipment plan is created, because refused pallets at an Amazon dock mean a rescheduled appointment and extra trucking cost.
ISPM-15: the customs-side pallet rule
ISPM-15 is the international standard for wood packaging material. Any solid-wood pallet entering the US must be heat-treated or fumigated and carry the IPPC stamp. CBP can hold, re-export, or destroy shipments on non-compliant pallets, and the cost and delay land on the importer.
Practical version: tell your supplier or consolidator in China to use IPPC-stamped pallets (or plastic pallets, which are exempt) and photograph the stamps before loading. This is a two-minute check that prevents a border-level problem.
Delivery appointments: how pallets actually enter FBA
Parcel carriers can drop small-parcel shipments at Amazon without an appointment, but palletized LTL and FTL deliveries require one, booked through Amazon's carrier appointment system. Missed or late appointments are a common source of delay after an otherwise smooth import.
In a managed DDP flow, the forwarder's US trucking partner books the appointment against your shipment ID and delivers on schedule. If you are coordinating vendors yourself, confirm early who books the appointment: the customs broker will not, and truckers only do it if instructed.
Palletize or floor-load the container?
For full containers there is a real choice: floor-loading (cartons stacked directly in the container) fits roughly 20 to 25 percent more cargo per container, while palletized loading costs container space but unloads in a fraction of the time and with less carton damage.
The common pattern for China-to-FBA full containers is to floor-load the ocean leg for density, then palletize at a US warehouse or prep center before the FBA delivery, since Amazon receives palletized LTL far more smoothly. For LCL shipments the consolidator usually requires palletized or securely packaged cargo anyway.
If the container goes straight to Amazon as FTL, check the shipment plan's requirements: floor-loaded containers are accepted at many fulfillment centers but take longer to unload, and the appointment type must match.
When the product itself is oversized
Oversized in Amazon's sense is about the product's size tier (large bulky and extra-large tiers), and it changes the economics before the freight even books: higher FBA fulfillment fees, fewer eligible fulfillment centers, and stricter packaging rules.
On the freight side, oversized products usually mean low value density, which pushes the answer toward sea freight: air freight priced on chargeable weight punishes bulky items. Confirm each item's dimensional weight, and if a single unit exceeds standard carton limits, plan for it to ship as freight (on a pallet) rather than as a parcel.
For genuinely heavy single units (furniture, fitness equipment, large appliances), get the FBA size-tier classification confirmed before ordering inventory: the difference between large bulky and extra large changes both the fulfillment fee and which warehouses Amazon assigns, which in turn changes your inland trucking cost.
FAQ
Can I ship pallets from China directly to Amazon FBA?
Yes. The flow is sea freight to a US port, customs clearance with you as importer of record, then LTL or FTL delivery to the fulfillment center against a booked appointment. The pallets must meet Amazon's 40 x 48 inch spec and height/weight limits, and imported wooden pallets must be ISPM-15 heat-treated with the IPPC stamp to clear customs.
What happens if my pallets are not ISPM-15 compliant?
CBP can hold the shipment and require the wood packaging to be re-exported or destroyed, with the cost and delay on the importer. The fix is cheap and preventive: instruct your supplier to use IPPC-stamped or plastic pallets and photograph the stamps before the container is loaded.
Is it cheaper to floor-load a container or palletize it?
Floor-loading fits roughly 20 to 25 percent more cargo per container, so the ocean leg is cheaper per unit. Palletizing costs space but unloads faster and with less damage. Many China-to-FBA sellers floor-load the ocean leg and palletize at a US warehouse before the Amazon delivery, which combines container density with a smooth FBA receipt.
Who books the Amazon delivery appointment for a pallet shipment?
Palletized LTL and FTL deliveries need an appointment booked through Amazon's carrier appointment system. In a managed DDP shipment the forwarder's trucking partner books it against your shipment ID. If you coordinate vendors separately, assign this explicitly: brokers do not book appointments, and truckers only do when instructed.
How does oversized FBA inventory change shipping from China?
Oversized products carry higher FBA fulfillment fees, stricter packaging rules, and fewer eligible warehouses. On the freight side their low value density favors sea over air, single units above carton limits must move as palletized freight, and the assigned fulfillment center can shift your inland trucking cost. Confirm the size tier before committing inventory.
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