Amazon FBA from China means goods leave the factory or a consolidation warehouse already packed for that channel: label, carton, units per box, pallet, contents list. That is not dropshipping from China to a buyer who ordered one piece. If you mix the two, the warehouse rejects the shipment and you pay to bring a container back.
Papillon does not run your marketplace account and does not guarantee inbound will pass. We run sourcing, QC and prep to the agreed warehouse, against the spec you bring from your own account.
What FBA asks that a Serbia warehouse does not
When you import into your own warehouse in Serbia you can open a carton and repack. FBA inbound checks whether the shipment is already stacked to their rule.
Typically, before the truck leaves you need:
- a unique product label that matches the listing
- a shipment label on every carton
- an agreed unit count per box, no mixed surprises
- a carton that survives stacking, not only a photo look
- a contents list that matches the physical count
- a pallet and height if that route requires it
Exact rules belong to the channel, not this text. Before the factory prints stickers, take the current list from your account and attach it to the purchase order. A sticker printed “approximately” costs more than one day of waiting.
Prep in the plant, not at the port
A fix at the port or at the warehouse door rarely arrives in time. QC before cartons close should check:
- The product matches the approved sample, including colour and insert.
- The label is readable and in the right place, not over a seam that tears.
- Units per box match the list.
- Protection is enough for that route. Glass, electronics and thin packing fail at the same point: the pallet corner.
- Export documents (invoice, packing list) match the physical cargo.
If the factory says “we know FBA”, ask for a photo of the last shipment and the name of the person who applies labels. Experience is not a phrase in a quote.
Where the goods go, and what that does to customs
An FBA warehouse is not always in the country where you sell, and it is not in Serbia only because your company is here. Three common paths:
- Direct from China into FBA in another country. Customs treatment is that country’s treatment. You still need China export papers and import papers for the destination.
- Via your EU warehouse, then into FBA. You add one inbound and one repack. It costs more, but you can catch an error before FBA rejects a pallet.
- Import into Serbia, then sell outside FBA. That is a different channel. Import documents China-Serbia and landed cost apply as for any other import. Do not put FBA fees into that model.
Do not add “Alibaba price” and “FBA fee” and call it margin. Margin also includes QC, labels, scrap, freight to the warehouse and goods the warehouse sends back.
Not the same as a shop in Serbia
If your buyer is in Serbia, FBA does not solve cash on delivery or dinar checkout. FBA is a channel for a marketplace that uses that programme. For your own shop and warehouse in Serbia the order is different: starting an online shop with goods from China.
You can run both channels. You cannot share the same carton without a check. An FBA mark and a label for a Serbian buyer are not always the same sticker. Tell the factory which channel this series is.
What to put in the brief
- Listing or product code and the FBA warehouse country.
- Label list and the rule for units per carton.
- Target quantity and whether this is a first shipment or a replenishment.
- Whether an approved sample exists.
- Who pays a rejection if inbound fails.
Papillon selects or checks the factory, runs QC against that list and coordinates shipment to the agreed place. The account, ads and marketplace chat stay with you. Contact.
Lock the carton before the deposit
FBA from China fails on prep, not on the gate price. Product mark, shipment mark, units per box, carton and contents list must be what the channel asks, written into the PO before deposit. Rework at the port rarely lands.
Sample that checks measures takes 2–5 weeks. Finding who can pack for that channel takes 1–3 weeks. Sea is about 35–52 days after cargo-ready. If the label is late, goods do not move. They also do not move if the product is ready and the carton is not.
If you import into Serbia, HS, COO and the 1 July 2024 agreement apply in two scenarios. If goods never enter Serbia, that agreement is not your discount. Landed cost uses the real address, plus labels, scrap and returns. LCL is a trial path. FCL when packed volume approaches 20' or 40'. CBM is the packed carton. Factory MOQ and units-per-box must agree before the order, not at the warehouse door.
Next step
Send the request: category, quantity, and date. You get a reply within 24 hours, with an outline of the total cost to destination where we can price it.
