Amazon Global Selling: How to Sell Internationally on Amazon

Amazon Global Selling is how you sell on Amazon's marketplaces outside your home country, managed from Seller Central. Amazon's reach spans 21 global marketplaces across North America, Europe, Asia and beyond.

‍

Selling in them spreads your revenue beyond the US. Amazon's international sales reached $35.89 billion in Q3 2024, a 12% year-over-year increase.

‍

Amazon Global Selling and how it works

‍

You set up a Professional seller account through the Sell Globally section of Seller Central, which gives you access to Amazon's marketplaces and lets you manage your listings in each one. Accounts are grouped by region:

‍

• A North American unified account includes access to the US, Canada and Mexico.
• A European unified account covers the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
• Linked accounts connect regions, such as North America and Europe, so you can sync inventory and manage orders in a single interface.

‍

Each marketplace can run on Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA), where Amazon stores and ships your stock, or Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM), where you ship it yourself.

‍

Reasons to sell internationally on Amazon

‍

In 2023, Amazon's international sales surged to over $131 billion. Listing abroad can give your brand:

‍

• Visibility with Amazon shoppers in high-demand markets.
• Faster growth than you might get in a crowded home market.
• Less competition for some categories in some regions.
• Ad budgets that stretch further in certain markets, which lifts return on ad spend.

‍

For many brands, markets such as the UK, Germany, Japan and Canada combine immediate demand with easy access.

‍

Getting started with the Amazon Global Selling program

‍

Step 1: Research and pick your marketplaces

‍

Amazon's Marketplace Product Guidance shows demand and competition for your products by region, and local market trends show where entry barriers may be lower. A strong first market can build momentum for the ones after it.

‍

Step 2: Set up your Professional seller account

‍

Register a Professional seller account in Seller Central and add the marketplace you picked in Step 1. If you'll sell in both North America and Europe, link the two regional accounts.

‍

Step 3: Build international listings

‍

In Seller Central, go to Inventory > Sell Globally and select Build International Listings. The tool mirrors your listings across marketplaces while still letting you change them for each one.

‍

• Translate product titles and descriptions, and research the keywords shoppers use in each market's language.
• Price for each market and allow for currency swings. European shoppers may expect VAT-inclusive prices.
• Match the detail shoppers expect. Japanese shoppers, for example, may put more weight on detailed, transparent product information.

‍

Petcube localizes its Amazon listings well. Its international listings are translated into local languages, and the images and descriptions are adapted to regional preferences too.

‍

‍

Petcube also doubled its global retail distribution by entering AEON PET and SoftBank stores in Japan and Petbarn in Australia.

‍

Step 4: Choose FBA or FBM for each marketplace

‍

• Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA): Amazon handles warehousing, shipping, customer service and returns, which suits high-demand markets where you want to scale quickly. In competitive categories where other sellers use FBA, it's close to mandatory.
• Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM): you keep control of shipping and fulfillment. It's often cheaper in regions where logistics infrastructure is easy to access.

‍

Without the Prime badge that comes with FBA, your products start at a disadvantage in rankings and shopper trust. Sending inventory to Amazon's regional fulfillment centers costs money, and the boost in visibility and sales often outweighs it.

‍

Bling Jewelry, a US brand known for affordable, high-quality jewelry, used FBA abroad to earn the Prime badge. The gain in trust and visibility lifted its sales 160% in Japan and 70% in Europe.

‍

FBM worked for Jeffs' Brands, a health and wellness company. Running its own fulfillment let it handle peak seasons and promotions without relying on Amazon's warehouses.

‍

OpenBorder supports brands with FBA setups abroad, including compliance with each region's rules, and its international marketplaces service can manage your Amazon inventory and listings. If you already use FBA in the US, extend it to your new marketplaces.

‍

Challenges to prepare for in Amazon international expansion

‍

Taxes, duties and compliance

‍

Each country sets its own tax and duty rules, and they can change your pricing and margin. Failure to collect, remit and file sales tax can result in penalties ranging from 10% to 25% of the tax amount, depending on the jurisdiction. On thin retail margins, penalties like that can substantially erode profitability, so VAT compliance and accurate product labels come first.

‍

• Europe: include VAT in product prices, and register for VAT in the countries where it applies.
• Japan: prepare for labeling requirements and appoint a local representative for imports.

‍

Import requirements. Expanding often requires importing goods into the target country. That brings VAT registration and deferral licenses, plus product compliance with local rules. In the UK, for example:

‍

• Supplements: the Food Standards Agency regulates supplements and reviews ingredients and labels for compliance. No registration is required, but products may need overlabeling.
• Cosmetics: the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) oversees cosmetics, which need label reviews, ingredient checks, a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) and a Product Information File (PIF). Cosmetics must also be notified with OPSS before import.

‍

OpenBorder can fast-track this product compliance work for each region, and it acts as importer of record all over the world.

‍

Currencies and payments

‍

Exchange rates and payment processing fees can eat into margin. Amazon's Currency Converter for Sellers covers the basics, and a multi-currency payment provider with real-time exchange rates and lower fees can keep more of each sale.

‍

Regional customer preferences

‍

Expectations differ by region, so tailor each marketplace. European shoppers expect quick returns and Japanese shoppers expect fast shipping, on top of the pricing and product detail covered in Step 3.

‍

OpenBorder support for Amazon international expansion

‍

• Compliance guidance on local tax rules, product standards and customs.
• A network of international carriers and 3PLs that keeps shipping costs low.
• Multi-currency payment tools to manage revenue across currencies and regions.

‍

Request a demo to plan your first Amazon marketplace outside the US.

‍

Amazon Global Selling: frequently asked questions

‍

What is Amazon Global Selling?

‍

It's Amazon's program for selling in its marketplaces abroad, and it runs on Professional seller accounts.

‍

How does Amazon Global Selling work?

‍

You add marketplaces from Sell Globally in Seller Central, copy your products into them with Build International Listings and pick FBA or FBM for each one.

‍

What is the Amazon Global Selling program?

‍

The program covers the 21 marketplaces Amazon runs across North America, Europe, Asia and other regions. Seller accounts work by region: a unified account gives you access to several marketplaces in North America or in Europe, and linking your North American and European accounts lets you sync inventory between them.