China to US Shipping for Large Products: What Sellers Need to Change in 2026
The Amazon AWD Change
China-based sellers shipping large products to the United States should plan for direct FBA or independent US storage rather than assuming Amazon AWD can hold reserve stock. In an Amazon Global Selling notice published July 11, 2026, Amazon said US AWD would stop accepting new oversize products from July 31. The notice states that each unit must be smaller than 18 x 14 x 8 inches and lighter than 20 pounds. A unit at or above any limit is not eligible for new US AWD inbound.
Amazon said affected large products should be sent directly to FBA. Existing oversize inventory in US AWD can continue replenishing FBA until depleted, and shipments created before July 31 remain accepted even if delivery occurs later. The notice applies to US AWD warehouses; it says GWD is not affected and that FBA capacity rules were unchanged.
This is a US warehouse-policy change, not a general suspension of China to US shipping. The practical effect is that the post-arrival storage plan must be decided before cargo leaves China.
Why Large-Product Shipping Is Different
Large products consume more cubic capacity at every stage: export cartons, containers, port handling, domestic trucking, overseas storage and final-mile delivery. Dimensional weight can also affect transport pricing, while damage and return costs are typically more difficult to control than for small parcels.
For a China to US shipping plan, the sellable unit, export carton, master carton and pallet should be measured separately. Amazon’s AWD threshold applies to the unit, so changing only the outer carton does not make an oversized product eligible for new US AWD inbound.
Demand timing matters as much as freight price. A seasonal product shipped too early can create months of US storage exposure. A product shipped too late can miss the selling window because large cargo often needs more booking, customs, drayage and appointment time.
FBA, AWD and US 3PL Options
Direct FBA: Inventory moves from China, or from a US staging location, into Amazon fulfillment centers. FBA then stores eligible products and fulfills customer orders. This is the route Amazon identified for affected large products, but sellers must follow the live FBA size, weight, prep, labeling and inbound-placement rules.
Amazon AWD: AWD is an upstream storage and distribution service, not the customer-order fulfillment layer. It remains relevant for eligible sortable inventory. For US units at or above the July 2026 threshold, new AWD inbound is no longer available under the cited notice.
US 3PL or overseas warehouse: A third-party warehouse can hold reserve stock, perform prep, consolidate orders or manage returns. It creates another handling relationship and domestic movement, so the seller should compare total landed cost rather than storage rent alone.