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Amazon Invests €10 Billion in European Warehouse Robotics

By JiuFang Logistics
July 24, 2026

European Warehouse Investment

Amazon announced on June 4 that it will invest more than €10 billion to expand and modernize fulfillment centers across Europe. The program combines additional warehouse capacity with robotics designed to move inventory and handle repetitive tasks.

Amazon also plans to add 25,000 fulfillment center jobs in Europe over the coming years. The company said the investment will support employees while improving warehouse operations and delivery speed.

New Proteus Robot

The next generation of Amazon’s autonomous Proteus robot can operate beyond loading-dock areas and move items across fulfillment sites. Employees can direct it with conversational text prompts instead of technical commands.

Amazon said Proteus can determine the route, priority and timing for assigned work. It is currently being piloted in Amazon laboratories, with European deployment planned for the first half of 2027.

STARK Expansion

The investment also includes STARK, a robotic tote-handling system that picks full storage bins from conveyors and places them on carts. After an initial pilot in Barcelona, Amazon plans to expand STARK to 15 European sites by 2027.

Amazon will also widen the use of Vulcan, its warehouse robot with a sense of touch. These systems focus on internal handling after inventory has entered the fulfillment network.

Impact on FBA Sellers Shipping from China

More automation may increase the speed and consistency of inventory movement inside an Amazon FBA warehouse, but the announcement does not change seller inbound requirements. China-based sellers still need to follow the shipment plan, labeling, carton, pallet and delivery-appointment rules shown in Seller Central.

Sellers should not route cargo to a warehouse based only on news of an upgrade. Amazon assigns the destination when the inbound shipment is created. For European inventory, customs clearance, VAT arrangements and delivery to the assigned fulfillment center remain separate steps before Amazon can receive the stock.

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UK Publishes CBAM Rules for China Exporters Ahead of 2027

By JiuFang Logistics
July 23, 2026

UK CBAM Policy Update

The UK government published an updated Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism policy summary on July 16. The document follows secondary regulations laid on July 13 and gives importers and overseas manufacturers more detail on registration, returns, record-keeping, carbon price relief and CBAM rate calculations.

The UK CBAM will start on January 1, 2027. It is separate from the EU CBAM and will apply across the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland.

Products and Importers in Scope

The mechanism covers specified commodity codes in aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen, iron and steel. Some products, including identified aluminium and iron or steel scrap codes, are excluded at launch.

The person named as the importer on the customs declaration is generally liable for CBAM. A minimum registration threshold of £50,000 applies to the value of relevant CBAM goods. Importers can appoint tax agents to submit returns, but the tax agent does not assume the liability.

How the CBAM Charge Is Calculated

The CBAM charge is based on imported embodied emissions multiplied by the applicable CBAM rate. Eligible carbon price relief can then reduce the final liability when an effective carbon price has already been paid.

Importers may use verified actual emissions data or UK government default values. Actual data must come from the producer and be verified by a qualifying verifier. Weight, emissions intensity and supporting records will therefore become part of the commercial information needed for covered imports.

What China Exporters Should Prepare

Chinese manufacturers selling covered goods to the UK should confirm commodity codes, non-preferential origin and product weight before shipping. They should also determine whether they can provide verified facility-level emissions data to the UK importer.

Shipping documents alone will not establish the carbon liability. Exporters, importers, customs brokers and logistics providers need consistent product and weight data, while the manufacturer and verifier supply the emissions evidence. Using default values may be simpler, but it can weaken price competitiveness if the defaults exceed the producer’s actual emissions.

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Daily CBAM Cost Index Gives China Exporters Earlier Price Signals

By JiuFang Logistics
July 23, 2026

Fastmarkets Launches Daily CBAM Assessments

London-based Fastmarkets announced two daily price assessments for EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism certificates in June. The tools are intended to give importers and exporters an earlier view of carbon costs while goods are being priced and traded.

Under the current EU CBAM framework, official certificate costs are confirmed after each reporting period: quarterly in 2026 and weekly from 2027. That delay can leave companies exposed to a changing cost after commercial terms have already been agreed.

How the Two Indexes Work

The CBAM Certificate Index is published daily in euros per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. It combines auctioned EU Allowance values with spot and forward allowance prices to estimate the certificate cost at the end of the reporting period.

The CBAM Certificate Builder tracks the volume-weighted average cost of EU Allowance auctions completed within the current reporting period. Fastmarkets said both series are designed to converge with the official CBAM certificate price when the period closes.

Impact on China-EU Trade

EU importers must purchase certificates covering the embedded emissions of goods within CBAM scope. Chinese exporters do not normally buy the certificates, but their production emissions influence the importer’s cost and can affect negotiations for steel, aluminium, cement and other covered products.

A daily cost signal allows buyers and sellers to state which carbon-price assumption applies to a quotation. It can also reduce disputes when the official certificate price is confirmed after the shipment has departed.

Data Needed Before Shipping

China exporters should provide the correct commodity code, product weight and installation-level emissions information before cargo leaves origin. The Fastmarkets tools can use either EU default values or verified emissions data, but the chosen basis should be clear in the sales contract.

CBAM compliance remains separate from freight charges and customs duty. Logistics teams should keep shipment quantities and customs records aligned with the emissions data used by the EU importer, while commercial teams price the carbon exposure separately.

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Amazon Florida Fulfillment Center Closure Changes FBA Inbound Planning

By JiuFang Logistics
July 22, 2026

Port St. Lucie Closure

Amazon will temporarily close its distribution facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida, to renovate the site, Supply Chain Dive reported on July 20. Operations are scheduled to stop on September 17.

The closure will affect 494 employees, according to a July 15 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice. Separations are scheduled for September 17 or December 17. Amazon said employees who accept internal transfers before separation will not be laid off.

Conversion to Fulfillment Operations

Amazon plans to convert the existing distribution site into a sortable fulfillment center. In that format, employees pick, pack and ship customer orders. The change is part of Amazon’s continuing adjustment of its U.S. warehouse network, which includes closing some sites while renovating or building others.

Amazon is also pursuing more automated capacity elsewhere, including a planned robotics-equipped sorting warehouse in Texas, according to Supply Chain Dive.

Impact on the Amazon FBA Inbound Process

The report does not state that the Port St. Lucie site is an FBA receiving center. Its scheduled shutdown is still a useful reminder that Amazon’s network can change at the facility level while sellers are moving inventory from China to the United States.

For the Amazon FBA inbound process, a shipment is not complete when it leaves China. The seller also needs the current shipment destination, appointment or carrier requirements, customs status and receiving timeline to remain aligned with Amazon’s instructions.

Seller Planning Actions

Before dispatching a time-sensitive shipment, China sellers should recheck the active shipment plan in Seller Central, confirm the assigned fulfillment center and allow time for U.S. inland delivery and receiving. If Amazon changes a destination, the seller should update the logistics plan instead of sending cartons to an outdated address.

For holiday or launch inventory, keeping a small timing buffer and tracking the check-in date helps separate a transit delay from an Amazon receiving delay.

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Fuel Surcharges Raise the Cost of Amazon FBA Inbound Delivery

By JiuFang Logistics
July 22, 2026

U.S. Parcel Costs Hit a Record

U.S. ground parcel costs remained elevated in the second quarter, Supply Chain Dive reported on July 20. The TD Cowen/AFS Ground Parcel Freight Index reached 42.4% above its January 2018 baseline, an increase of 6.9% year over year.

The index is expected to moderate to 38.7% above the baseline in the third quarter. Even at that level, the report said 2026 remains on track to record the highest cost per package in the index’s history.

Fuel Surcharge Pressure

The average net fuel surcharge per package increased 40% year over year in the second quarter. At diesel prices of $4.50 per gallon, FedEx and UPS ground fuel surcharges were running at roughly 24.5% to 25%, compared with 22.5% a year earlier.

Supply Chain Dive also reported that discounts for some FedEx and UPS shippers declined slightly in the quarter. Large and small customers may therefore receive different pricing outcomes.

Connection to the Amazon FBA Inbound Process

For China sellers, inbound shipping cost does not end at the U.S. port. After international freight and customs clearance, cartons still need inland or parcel delivery to the Amazon-assigned fulfillment center. Fuel surcharges and billed weight can change that final leg’s cost.

This matters when comparing a low ocean or air freight quote. The Amazon FBA inbound process should be priced from the China pickup point through delivery and receiving, including destination handling, domestic transport and any carrier surcharge.

Cost Planning for China Sellers

Sellers should request an all-in quote, confirm whether fuel is included and check the billed-weight rules before booking. A shipment split between fulfillment centers may also create additional domestic delivery charges.

The index report noted that Amazon Shipping and other Amazon Supply Chain Services could pressure parcel pricing over time. That potential competition does not remove the need to verify service coverage, delivery time and Amazon receiving requirements for each shipment.

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DHL Adds Transpacific Air Capacity for Amazon FBA Shipping

By JiuFang Logistics
July 21, 2026

New Transpacific Air Service

DHL Global Forwarding has expanded its transpacific air network with a dedicated service from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to its Cincinnati hub. Supply Chain Dive reported the development on July 15, within DHL’s broader effort to add controlled capacity between Asian manufacturing centers and the United States.

The route started operating on July 1. It complements DHL flights from Hanoi and Taipei to U.S. gateways including Chicago, widening the available network for time-sensitive cargo moving from Asia.

Schedule and Capacity

The Bangkok-Cincinnati service operates three times a week with a Boeing 777 freighter. Each flight provides 100 metric tons of cargo capacity. DHL said the dedicated operation is intended to give shippers more stable schedules and more predictable costs.

The aircraft can handle oversized and high-value shipments as well as standard air cargo. Technology products are a major source of current demand from Southeast Asia, according to DHL.

Impact on Amazon FBA Shipping

For Amazon FBA sellers, the added capacity creates another option for urgent replenishment into the United States when ocean transit is too slow. It may be useful for compact, high-value inventory, launch stock or products at risk of going out of stock.

The service does not depart from mainland China. China-based sellers would need inventory produced in Southeast Asia or a compliant regional consolidation plan before using the Bangkok gateway. Total cost should include origin trucking, export handling, U.S. customs clearance and delivery to the assigned Amazon fulfillment center.

Planning Priorities

Air capacity remains under pressure. Supply Chain Dive cited Xeneta data showing Asia-Pacific-to-North America demand rose 7% year over year in June, while transpacific spot rates jumped more than 40% from late February to the final week of June.

FBA sellers should compare the full landed cost of air freight against the sales and ranking risk of an inventory gap. Booking space before stock reaches a critical level leaves more room to choose between air, ocean and split-shipment strategies.

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Transpacific Ocean Rates Ease for Amazon FBA Shipping

By JiuFang Logistics
July 21, 2026

Shanghai-US Rates Turn Lower

Transpacific container spot rates showed signs of easing in mid-July after climbing through the early peak season. The Loadstar reported on July 17 that Drewry’s Shanghai-Los Angeles rate fell 3% week over week to $6,272 per 40-foot container.

The Shanghai-New York rate was unchanged at $7,879 per 40-foot container. The mixed movement suggests the market is softening, but not uniformly across U.S. coasts.

More Transpacific Capacity

Xeneta data cited by The Loadstar showed offered capacity to the U.S. West Coast increased 6.5% from the previous week. Capacity to the U.S. East Coast rose 15.4%.

Analysts linked the rate change to carriers adding space while front-loaded demand began to ease. Importers had moved orders earlier to manage expected third-quarter fuel adjustments and wider supply chain disruption. That brought peak-season pressure forward into May rather than July.

Amazon FBA Shipping Costs

For sellers moving inventory from China to Amazon FBA warehouses, a weekly decline can improve new booking quotes, but it does not mean low-cost shipping has returned. Xeneta said Far East-to-U.S. West Coast spot rates were still 252% above their late-February level.

FBA shipping comparisons should use the complete landed cost: ocean freight, origin charges, destination handling, customs clearance, inland delivery and Amazon receiving deadlines. Sellers also need to match the port route with the fulfillment center destination before selecting a lower headline rate.

Near-Term Outlook

A sharp fall is not guaranteed. Drewry counted nine blank sailings scheduled for the following transpacific week, giving carriers a way to limit available space. U.S. tariff policy could also change booking demand quickly.

Amazon FBA sellers should treat the current decline as a booking window rather than a confirmed long-term trend. Comparing West Coast and East Coast options, checking sailing reliability and allowing time for FBA receiving remain central to inventory planning.

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AI Refund Fraud Adds Risk to FBA Fee Calculations

By JiuFang Logistics
July 20, 2026

Returns Already Carry High Costs

U.S. retailers processed approximately $849.9 billion in merchandise returns in 2025, and about 9% were fraudulent, Practical Ecommerce reported July 16, citing the National Retail Federation and Happy Returns.

E-commerce recorded a 19.3% overall return rate, substantially higher than physical retail.

AI Expands Synthetic Evidence

Generative AI can create convincing photographs of cracked, stained or incomplete products. It can also fabricate damaged packaging, customer-service messages, carrier records and delivery screenshots used to support false refund claims.

The risk is higher when merchants approve low-value refunds remotely because return shipping and inspection would cost more than the product.

AI-Specific Losses Remain Unclear

The 9% fraud figure covers return fraud overall. Practical Ecommerce said there is no credible U.S. estimate for the share specifically assisted by AI, so sellers should not treat all fraudulent returns as AI-generated.

Manual review, extra photo angles and mandatory returns can reduce risk, but each control also adds support, shipping and inspection expense.

Add Expected Return Loss

FBA profitability models should include expected return cost per sale: return probability multiplied by the average net loss per return. The net loss can include non-resellable inventory, applicable Amazon return charges, removal or disposal costs and unrecovered shipping.

China-based sellers should calculate this by SKU and category. A low-margin product with a high return rate can become unprofitable even when its standard FBA fulfillment fee remains unchanged.

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Air Cargo Rate Forecast Rises 5%-15% for FBA Sellers

By JiuFang Logistics
July 20, 2026

Xeneta Reverses Its Rate Forecast

Xeneta now expects long-term air freight contract rates to increase 5%-15% in 2026, FreightWaves reported July 17. The analytics firm had previously forecast a 5%-10% decline.

Combined spot and contract rates rose 17% year over year in the first half. Spot rates increased 22%, long-term rates rose 11%, and airline spot prices jumped 40% from May through June.

Capacity and Fuel Raise Costs

Middle East airspace and airport disruption initially removed more than 12% of global air cargo capacity, while higher jet fuel prices added further pressure. Xeneta expects full-year supply to grow about 2%, below demand growth.

June air cargo demand increased 7% year over year, supported by semiconductor and AI hardware shipments. AI-related products now represent about 10% of total air cargo volume.

China E-Commerce Air Demand Slows

China’s low-value e-commerce exports fell 7% year over year in May, the sixth consecutive monthly decline, according to Xeneta. New low-value import rules in the United States and European Union have weakened a major source of air cargo growth.

Update the FBA Fee Calculation

China-based FBA sellers should model the air freight portion of landed cost at three levels: current quote multiplied by 1.05, 1.10 and 1.15. Fuel, security and war-risk surcharges should remain separate where the forwarder does not include them in the base rate.

Total FBA cost per unit should include international freight, customs duty and tax, destination handling, Amazon inbound charges, storage and fulfillment fees. Air freight should be reserved for inventory where the avoided stockout cost exceeds the rate premium.

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EU €3 Parcel Duty Changes FBA Fee Calculations for China Sellers

By JiuFang Logistics
July 17, 2026

€3 Duty Starts on Low-Value Parcels

The European Union began charging a €3 customs duty on July 1 for direct-import parcels valued below €150, The Register reported July 6. The measure ends the previous duty-free treatment for these low-value shipments.

EU data shows that 4.6 billion e-commerce parcels worth less than €150 entered the bloc in 2024, with 91% arriving from China.

The Charge Applies Per Tariff Line

The duty is assessed per product category in the customs declaration, not simply per parcel. A parcel containing several units under one tariff line incurs €3, while a parcel containing three different tariff lines incurs €9.

Product classification therefore directly affects the landed cost of mixed-item orders.

FBA and FBM Orders Are Covered

Amazon told sellers that the duty applies to FBA and FBM customer shipments sent directly from outside the EU to EU consumers. Amazon also said the charge does not apply when products are fulfilled from inventory already located inside the EU.

How to Calculate the New Cost

The €3 charge is a customs cost, not an Amazon FBA fee. For direct shipments, sellers should multiply €3 by the number of tariff lines and add VAT, transport, marketplace fees and any customs-processing costs.

For EU-based FBA inventory, the comparison should include bulk-import duty and VAT, international freight, Amazon inbound charges, storage and fulfillment fees. Consolidating inventory into an EU warehouse can avoid the new charge on each customer shipment, but it introduces inventory and storage risk.

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