Amazon Partnered Carrier programme – Cross-border shipment workflow frequently asked questions

General frequently asked questions

How can I prepare for Amazon partnered carrier shipping starting January 1, 2021?

Sellers who use Amazon partnered carriers will require the following information before creating a shipment:*

• Registered VAT numbers in the destination marketplace you plan to send inventory
• Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number for both the UK and one European Union country after January 1, 2021
• Product Harmonised System (HS) classification codes
• Product customs value information (see additional guidance for the UK and for the European Union)
• Country of origin information
• Import Reference number, provided by the carrier

*These requirements are subject to change based on guidelines provided by the UK government.

Which partnered carriers will support shipments to and from the UK starting January 1, 2021?

• Small parcels: UPS is the Amazon partnered carrier provider for small parcel shipments to and from the UK. For more information, see Creating a cross-border small parcel shipment with the Amazon Partnered Carrier programme.
• Pallets: Kuehne+Nagel is the partnered carrier for pallet shipments to and from the UK. For more information, see Creating a cross-border LTL shipment with the Amazon Partnered Carrier programme.

Do I need to ship a minimum number of packages or pallets when using the partnered carrier pallet (less-than-truckload) option?

For small parcels, a maximum of 200 boxes can be created per shipment. If your small parcel shipment weighs more than 200 kg or contains more than 30 parcels, you might find that the partnered carrier pallet (LTL) option is less expensive than other shipping options. For pallets, partnered carriers do not require a minimum number to be shipped. For LTL, the maximum number of pallets per shipment is 26 for the UK and 33 for the European Union.

Are partnered carriers able to support both direct and indirect representation at customs?

Starting January 1, 2021, shipments crossing the UK and the European Union border must go through export clearance in the country of dispatch and import clearance in the country of arrival.

Customs brokers act as either of the following:

• Direct representative, meaning they act on behalf of the importer or exporter. However, the importer or exporter is solely responsible for all customs debts and liabilities arising from the customs-related transactions.
• Indirect representative, meaning they act on behalf of the importer or exporter and are jointly responsible for all customs debts and liabilities arising from the customs-related transactions.

Customs brokers must act as an indirect representative in cases when the importer or exporter is:

• Not established in the UK but conducts import and export activities in the UK, or
• Not established in the European Union but conducts import and export activities in the European Union

In other cases, the customs brokers usually act as a direct representative.

For small shipments, UPS can provide both direct and indirect representation for customs clearance. They can also collaborate with customs brokers, but this collaboration may result in handover fees (see the charges in the table below). See our Service provider network for broker options.

For pallet shipments, Kuehne+Nagel can provide direct representation only for customs clearance. If you require indirect representation, you must work with a third-party customs broker for customs clearance. See our Service provider network for broker options.

Amazon will not act as importer or exporter, or as a direct or indirect representative for your shipment.

What will the shipping costs be for sending partnered carrier shipments across the UK-EU border, and how will I be charged?

The table below shows the breakdown of costs for partnered carrier shipments sent across the UK-EU border starting January 1, 2021. Note that the table is intended for guidance purposes only. Your shipment may be subject to additional charges, depending on: 1) whether you use a third-party customs broker for customs clearance, and 2) the quantity, declared value, dimensions and weight of the boxes or pallets, the address where the delivery originated and the destination fulfilment centre.

What support will Amazon offer?

We are helping to reduce the cost of cross-border FBA shipments between the UK and the European Union for sellers who use an Amazon partnered carrier. From 1 January to 31 March 2021, you can benefit in the following ways:

• Transportation costs: We are offering discounted rates for cross-border partnered carrier shipments between the UK and the European Union until 31 March 2021. This represents an approximate savings of between 30% to 64% for both partnered carrier small parcel and partnered carrier pallet shipments. The savings are calculated based on standard Amazon partnered carrier rates from 1 January to 15 November 2020. The actual savings depend on the shipment quantity, dimensions and weight of the boxes or pallets, the address where the delivery originated and the destination fulfilment centre.
• Brokerage and handover fees: For sellers who use the partnered carrier customs brokerage services, Amazon will cover the brokerage fees for all shipment types. For pallet shipments, we will also cover the handover fee if a third-party customs broker is used.

For more information, see Post-customs border promotion frequently asked questions.

Is it possible to defer payment of taxes and duties incurred at customs clearance?

Import tax and customs duties for goods imported into the European Union and into the UK are normally payable at the time of importation.

However, importers can defer payment by securing approval from the customs authorities of the importing country. To defer payment, you must provide security in the form of a guarantee from a bank or insurance company. The approval process and the requirements for duty and tax deferment differs by country. For UK guidance, see Apply for an account to defer duty payments when you import or release goods into Great Britain. For European Union countries, please visit the customs authorities website of the importing country. See the list of customs authorities websites for the European Union.

If you do not have a deferment account in place, your chosen partnered carrier or customs broker will typically pay taxes and duties for a given shipment on your behalf. They will then send you an invoice. In this case, the disbursement fee is charged by the customs broker.

I want to work with my own customs broker. Can I still use a partnered carrier to ship my goods?

You can use either a partnered carrier’s brokerage services or a nominated third-party broker for indirect customs clearance (indirect representation). However, we expect additional charges will apply for shipments that involve a third-party customs broker.

• Small parcels: UPS is still able to collaborate with third-party customs brokers. In this workflow, UPS would still manage the transportation of the stock to and from the customs border, and would liaise with the broker for instructions at the border. If you would like to follow this process, you must provide UPS this information in advance of shipment pickup. You will be required to pay UPS a handover fee and any additional charges applied by the third-party customs broker.
• Pallets: If you require indirect representation for customs clearance, you must work with a third-party customs broker. Kuehne+Nagel can only provide direct representation. If you require third-party customs broker support, you must provide this information to Kuehne+Nagel in advance of the shipment pickup.

Cross-border shipment workflow frequently asked questions