Building a Profitable Amazon UK Business with China-Sourced Products
Over 60% of successful Amazon UK sellers source their products from China. The combination of Amazon’s marketplace reach and China’s manufacturing capabilities creates a powerful business model — if done correctly.
PocketChina has helped launch over 50 Amazon UK brands with China-sourced products. Here’s the proven playbook.
Why China + Amazon FBA Works
- Manufacturing cost advantage: 50-70% lower production costs vs UK/EU manufacturers
- Customisation flexibility: Chinese factories readily offer OEM/ODM for small orders
- Amazon handles fulfilment: FBA eliminates warehousing and shipping complexity
- Scalable model: Start with £3,000, scale to 6-7 figures
Product Selection Criteria for Amazon UK
- Selling price between £15-50 (sweet spot for margins)
- Small and lightweight (reduces FBA fees and shipping costs)
- Not fragile (survives international shipping)
- Steady year-round demand (avoid seasonal-only products)
- Improvable (you can differentiate from existing listings)
Shipping to Amazon FBA: Two Approaches
Direct from China to FBA: Ship directly from your Chinese supplier to Amazon’s UK fulfilment centres. Saves time but requires proper labelling and prep at origin.
Via UK prep centre: Ship to a UK prep centre first for quality check, labelling, and FBA prep. More control but adds cost and time.
Landed Cost Calculation
For a product with FOB price of £3:
- Shipping (sea): £0.50-1.00 per unit
- Import duty (8% avg): £0.24
- VAT (20%): £0.75
- Amazon FBA fee: £3-5
- Amazon referral (15%): varies by selling price
Typical margin target: 25-35% after all costs.
Need help sourcing products for your Amazon UK business? PocketChina offers end-to-end sourcing with direct-to-FBA shipping.