Don't hold on stubbornly! FBA has increased twice in a row, and the newly revised Maritime Law will take effect on May 1, 2026. How can North American cross-border logistics break the deadlock?
Created on 04.20
In 2026, the North American cross-border e-commerce landscape will face a dual impact: Amazon FBA fees have officially seen two consecutive increases, and the new "Maritime Law" will be implemented on May 1st.
Image source: Official Media
Requires the complete document of the Maritime Law of the People's Republic of China (2025 Revision)
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These two major changes directly affect industry profitability and risk management. How should cross-border e-commerce practitioners break down the core details, anticipate potential impacts, and find suitable coping strategies?
PART.01
Deconstruction of Core Policy Changes
01. FBA Two Consecutive Increases: Dual Increase Pattern, Long-term Cost Pressure
January 15, 2026 (First Round)
The average FBA delivery fee for the US site has increased by $0.08 per item, with larger and heavier items seeing increases of up to $0.5-1.2 per item due to higher delivery difficulties; the surcharge for aged inventory has been reduced from 271 days to 181 days, causing the cost of unsold goods to double, and the rules for multiple warehouses have tightened, increasing additional costs for multi-warehouse shipments.
April 17, 2026 (second round)
A temporary fuel surcharge of 3.5% is uniformly added to the US and Canada sites, with standard items incurring an additional $0.17 per item, covering all scenarios including FBA delivery and MCF multi-channel delivery, with no exemption clauses.
The core reason for the two consecutive increases in FBA is the continuous rise in global logistics fuel, labor, and warehousing costs, as well as Amazon's need to optimize profit structures and cover fulfillment costs.
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The current dual model of "base fee + additional fees" is showing a long-term trend. Sellers with logistics costs exceeding 20% of their total costs will see a direct decline in net profit of 8%-12%. The risk of loss is significantly increasing for low-priced standard products, large furniture/outdoor products.
02. Implementation of the New Maritime Law: Restructured Responsibilities, Upgraded Compliance and Risk Control
The new "Maritime Law," officially implemented on May 1st, aims to align with international maritime rules, regulate the cross-border shipping market, and strengthen compliance and environmental controls. Adjustments to its core clauses directly restructure the division of responsibilities in cross-border shipping, placing higher demands on the compliance and risk control capabilities of sellers and freight forwarders.
Article 93 explicitly states "whoever books the space bears the ultimate responsibility." In cases of cargo abandonment or failure to pick up at the port of destination, the shipper will bear all costs including port demurrage, container demurrage, return shipping fees, and destruction fees.
Requires the complete document of the Maritime Law of the People's Republic of China (2025 Revision)
Please contact Zhongnan Jinghang International Account Manager
Tel/WeChat: 15876779555
In addition, the new regulations clarify the legalization of electronic transport records, requiring that electronic bills of lading and waybills for maritime transport meet legal standards, be traceable and verifiable. Non-compliant records will affect customs clearance, container pickup, and may even lead to penalties. New clauses on ship oil pollution damage liability expand the scope of carrier compensation, indirectly increasing the maritime costs for sellers and freight forwarders.
PART.02
Classification of Affected Groups: Differences in Pressure and Risk Among Different Entities
01. FBA Fee Increase Impact
1. Sellers with Low Average Order Value and Low Profit Margins:
These practitioners, mainly dealing in 3C accessories and small household goods, are the most heavily impacted. Their average order value is between $10-$20, with a net profit margin of only 8%-15%, leaving very limited profit margins.
After the FBA delivery fee and fuel surcharge increase, it directly squeezes net profit by nearly 3 percentage points, even leading to a "lose money on every order sold" predicament. If operational strategies are not adjusted in time, these sellers may face widespread losses and be forced to exit the market.
2. Sellers of Heavy and Large Items:
Sellers mainly dealing in categories such as furniture, outdoor equipment, and large home appliances are the hardest hit by this FBA fee increase.
The FBA delivery fee increase for these types of goods can be as high as $1.2/piece, and the fuel surcharge is calculated based on the value or weight of the goods, causing the logistics cost proportion to rise to 28%-35%. Coupled with the slow turnover of large items, it is prone to triggering aged inventory fees, further increasing the operational pressure for these sellers.
3. Sellers with High Average Order Value:
Sellers mainly dealing in categories such as beauty products and high-end health supplements, with an average order value exceeding $50 and net profit margins maintained at 20%-30%. Although they can partially absorb some cost pressure, their long-term profit margins will still be compressed, and they need to cope with price competition from rivals.
02. Impact of New Maritime Law
1. Small and Medium-sized Freight Forwarders
Under FOB terms, freight forwarders acting as contractual shippers booking space are responsible for the full chain of cargo abandonment costs. Once cargo is abandoned at the destination port, exorbitant demurrage and detention fees can lead to a cash flow crisis for the freight forwarder. Additionally, new regulations require freight forwarders to bear responsibility for the compliance of electronic transport records and cargo tracking. Insufficient service capabilities may result in compliance penalties.
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2. Factory-based sellers who book directly
Are responsible for "booking guarantees," especially those engaged in overseas wholesale and with concentrated customer bases. Abandonment by a single customer can lead to massive losses. Furthermore, these sellers must independently manage the compliance of electronic records and customs clearance processes. A lack of professional expertise can easily result in delays and penalties.
3. Small and medium-sized sellers relying on freight forwarders
These sellers do not book directly, and the risk of cargo abandonment is primarily borne by the freight forwarder, making the risk relatively controllable. However, these sellers still need to clarify the division of abandonment responsibilities with their freight forwarders in advance to avoid shirking responsibility and being passively held liable. They also need to keep track of cargo dynamics and cooperate by providing compliant documentation to prevent issues arising from delayed information or non-compliant documents.
PART.03
Practical Response Strategies
01. Cost Control:
Detailed cost accounting, tiered pricing adjustments
1. Recalculate FBA new rates by weight/dimensions:
Large items (>50 lbs) will see a 30%-80% increase, while small items (<1 lb) will see a 5%-10% increase.
2. Pricing Reference:
New Price = Original Price + (New FBA Costs + Ocean Freight Increase) × 1.2 (to cover risks);
3. Increase prices based on product value:
For low-priced items less than $15 per unit, increase by $0.5-1 directly;
High-priced items can be increased by 3%-5%, with staggered price increases to avoid losing orders.
Cost Pass-Through and Subsidy Utilization
1. Set up a "Logistics Service Fee" ($0.8-1.5/piece) or offer free shipping for orders over $35 to increase average order value and offset costs;
2. Apply for Amazon FBA New Seller Subsidy, Small and Light Program, and ASIN Subsidy to deduct 5%-10% of shipping fees;
3. Consolidate shipments, reduce warehouses: Use Amazon's Inventory Placement Service (IPS) and pay a small fee to centralize inventory, saving on first-mile + warehousing fees.
02. Logistics Diversification: Break free from single FBA reliance, reduce costs and control risks
North American Logistics Combination Solutions (by Category)
Product Type | Recommended Solution | Advantages | Applicable Scenarios |
Small and Light Standard Products (< 2 lbs, $10-30) | FBA + Self-Shipment (Standard Mail) | FBA captures conversion, self-shipment controls costs | General merchandise, low average order value, fast turnover |
Oversized / Heavy Goods (> 50 lbs) | Third-party overseas warehouse + FBA replenishment | First leg full container saves 30%, warehousing fees reduced by 50% | Furniture, home appliances, outdoor products |
High-risk / slow-moving items | Overseas warehouse one-piece fulfillment | Low abandonment cost ($100-300 / piece), resalable | New product testing, seasonal goods |
High gross margin boutique items | FBA + local courier (UPS/FedEx) | Fast transit time, good experience, high premium | Branded goods, high average order value (>$100) |
First leg optimization:
1. Prioritize full containers, reduce LCL:
Clear responsibility for full container abandonment, LCL is easily implicated and held responsible;
2. Select a formal freight forwarder + DDP terms:
Clarify "division of responsibility for abandonment at the port of destination" upon signing, and agree that the freight forwarder will assist with return/resale/destruction, with a cost limit of ≤ 30% of the goods value;
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3. Verification of shipowner's oil pollution insurance:
Under the new maritime law, sellers may be held jointly liable for pollution caused by uninsured vessels;
4. Electronic bills of lading replacing paper ones:
Speed up (3 days → 1 hour), reduce mailing costs, comply with new legal requirements.
03. Inventory refinement: Shorten turnover, reduce delays and abandoned goods
Small batch quick response, eliminate blind stocking
1. New products:
First batch of 50-200 items for trial sales, restock only if data meets standards, FBA inventory ≤ 30 days of sales;
2. Peak season:
Prepare in 3 batches (60% + 30% + 10%), avoid stockpiling; clear out inventory over 90 days immediately;
3. Inventory age management:
Must clear within 180 days, handle through price reductions, bundling, or off-site clearance before triggering aged fees.
Cross-platform distribution, revitalizing slow-moving inventory
1. Transfer FBA slow-moving items to third-party overseas warehouses for distribution to Walmart, TikTok Shop, eBay;
2. US local clearance channels: Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, local wholesalers, for quick cash recovery.
04. Compliance risk control: Respond to the new Maritime Law, lock in liability boundaries
Contract and terms restructuring
1. Freight forwarder contract: Added "Contingency plan for abandoned goods", clarifying the upper limit of port congestion fees, return/destruction procedures, and cost sharing ratio;
2. Trade terms: Prioritize DDP (seller customs clearance), abandon FOB; avoid vague statements such as "advancing fees, unlimited liability";
3. Order terms: Mark "Buyer unreasonably refuses pickup, must bear 30% of the goods value + logistics fees", high-risk buyers pay a 50% prepayment.
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Risk warning and emergency mechanism
1. Monitor account health: Suspend shipments in case of infringement/performance risks, and contact overseas warehouses for previously shipped goods;
2. Emergency for abandoned goods: Agree in advance with freight forwarders on a 'quick processing channel for abandoned goods', with destruction fees at the Port of Los Angeles ranging from $300-500 per container, to be handled within 24 hours;
3. Insurance configuration: Insure 'logistics liability insurance + abandoned goods insurance', covering port delay fees and return shipping fees, with premiums ≤ 2% of the goods' value.
05. Product and supply chain upgrade: From 'passively bearing costs' to 'actively increasing profits'
Product structure adjustment
1. Elimination:
Low margin (<15%), large items, high logistics proportion (>30%);
2. Focus:
Small, lightweight, high-margin items (<2 lbs, margin >35%), high repurchase, branded products;
3. Lightweight Modification:
Optimize packaging and materials to reduce product weight by 10%-20%, directly lowering FBA delivery fees and first-leg shipping costs.
Supply Chain Localization + Pre-shipment Inventory
1. Local procurement or OEM in North America:
Avoid the impact of sea freight costs and FBA increases. Delivery time is 2-3 days, suitable for large items.
2. Pre-shipment inventory in Mexico/Canada warehouses:
Delivery across the US-Canada border, exempt from remote area surcharges, with delivery times close to FBA.
PART.04
Practical Advice for Sellers of Different Scales
Small and Medium Sellers (Monthly Sales < $50,000)
1. Adjust prices across the entire store by 3%-8% to cover FBA surcharges;
2. Transfer 50% of shipment volume to third-party overseas warehouses to reduce FBA dependency;
3. Pilot new products in small batches with inventory ≤ 30 days;
4. Re-sign freight forwarder contracts to clarify the upper limit of abandonment liability.
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Mid-tier Sellers (Monthly Sales $50k - $300k)
1. Establish a three-tiered logistics system: FBA + Overseas Warehouse + Self-fulfillment;
2. Direct shipment of large-volume full containers to overseas warehouses, saving up to 30% on first-leg costs;
3. Launch an intelligent inventory early warning system, clearing inventory over 90 days daily;
4. Insure against cargo abandonment with logistics abandonment insurance, covering core routes.
Large sellers (monthly sales > $300,000)
1. Self-built/leased overseas warehouses in North America, reducing warehousing costs by 50%.
2. Long-term contracts with shipping companies to lock in prices, stabilizing headhaul costs by 10%-15%.
3. Utilize electronic bills of lading throughout the entire process, combined with blockchain traceability technology, to meet compliance requirements and improve logistics efficiency.
4. Establish a compliance risk control position to specifically address the new Maritime Law.
PART.05
60-Day Action Plan
Mid-April (Jointly managed by Finance and Operations):
Complete cost recalculation for all SKUs and implement the first round of price adjustments.
Renegotiate freight forwarder contracts, clarifying abandonment clauses.
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End of April (Managed by Operations):
Divert 30% of inventory to third-party overseas warehouses.
Clear out unsalable inventory older than 180 days.
Before May 1st (Jointly managed by Logistics and Finance):
Complete the switch to electronic bills of lading.
Purchase logistics liability insurance;
Develop an SOP for abandoned goods emergencies;
May-June (jointly responsible by the entire team):
Monitor profit margins, optimize logistics mix;
Iterate product structure, focus on high-margin, small, and light products.
The cross-border logistics industry is constantly seeking opportunities amidst change. The consecutive FBA price hikes and the implementation of the new "Maritime Law" present both challenges and an opportunity for industry reshuffling and optimization.
For all cross-border practitioners, only by understanding their own business characteristics, optimizing logistics layout, strengthening risk control, and improving operational capabilities, without relying on single resources or passively enduring hardships, can they steadily advance and achieve long-term profitability amidst industry transformation.
END
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