Why Australian Sellers Should Sell on Amazon US
As an Australian seller, you might wonder why you should expand your business and enter the Amazon US marketplace. The truth is, there are several major benefits that can easily increase your profits and help your business succeed.
- The customer base on Amazon US is about 10 times bigger than Amazon Australia. This means your listings can reach a much larger audience, giving you more chances to sell high-demand products.
- The US market also has more categories and higher demand overall, so you may find buyers searching for items that are limited or not popular in Australia.
- By using FBA, you can store your products in US warehouses while Amazon handles domestic shipping and customer service. This allows you to expand globally without needing a physical presence in another country. With international exposure, your revenue can grow quickly since you’re no longer limited to just the Australian economy.
Requirements to Sell on Amazon US from Australia
After you decide that expanding your business to the Amazon US marketplace is a good move, you need to meet some requirements in order to get the ability to sell.
Amazon Seller Central Account
The first step is having an Amazon Seller Central account. This account allows you to sell on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.com.mx. As an Australian seller, you should register under the North America region, which will automatically give you access to the US marketplace. If you already have a Seller Central account, you don’t need to open a new one, you can just edit your existing account and add the US marketplace in the settings.
Personal and Business Documents
You will need documents to verify your identity and address. These can include a passport, driver’s licence, bank account statement, or credit card statement.
Payment Solutions
For payments, you need solutions like Payoneer, Wise, or Amazon Currency Converter. These third-party services provide you with a virtual US bank account.
Tax Information
As a non-US person, you must submit Form W-8BEN to Amazon for tax purposes. This form certifies that you are a foreign individual, so Amazon does not withhold US income taxes from your payouts.
Step-by-Step Guide for Selling on Amazon US from Australia
Now it’s time to talk about the steps you need to follow to start selling on Amazon US as an Australian seller. Follow these steps to launch your Amazon.com business from Australia:
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Open an Amazon Seller Account
As we said earlier, the first step for selling on Amazon is to create your Amazon US seller account. Go to the Amazon Seller Central sign-up page and choose between an Individual plan or a Professional plan.
In Amazon Individual vs Professional Seller Plans article, we fully explained the differences between these two account types and their monthly fees. During registration, you must select your business type an individual, company, or sole trader. Since this is a unified North American account, after approval you can automatically access and sell in the US, Canada, and Mexico from one dashboard.
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Product Research and Selection
After opening your Amazon seller account, the next step is product research and choosing the best products to sell. In this step, you can use research tools like Helium 10, Jungle Scout, or Keepa to analyze sales data and market trends on Amazon. If you don’t know how to use these tools, don’t worry. We have separate guides for each one so you can learn professional strategies.
During your research, focus on small, lightweight products because at the beginning, these are easier to handle, have lower FBA fees, and require less inventory investment.
Also, make sure to look for products with:
- High demand
- Low to moderate competition
- Healthy profit margins
- Stable pricing history
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Source Products for the US Market
The next step is sourcing inventory to send to Amazon. There are multiple sourcing models you can choose from:
Sourcing Model | Description |
Private Label | Produce your own items or source from Alibaba/local suppliers, then add your own brand and logo. |
Wholesale | Buy products in bulk from established brands with strong demand, then resell them on Amazon. |
Retail / Online Arbitrage | Buy discounted or clearance items at lower prices and resell them at a higher price on Amazon. |
For all of these methods, we have complete articles that explain each one, along with their benefits and their pros and cons.
The big question for Australian sellers who want to target the Amazon US marketplace is whether to source inventory domestically or internationally. If you produce your own products and build a brand, you can sell those products in the US, sometimes shipping directly from manufacturers in China or other Asian countries straight to the US. You can also buy products from US suppliers and sell them directly through FBA in America.
Be careful with your product research and listings.Make sure to find the right products, not just anything you see in the market. To save time, you can also use our curated daily online arbitrage sourcing lists with profit calculations that help you pick items without spending too much time on manual research.
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Shipping Products from Australia to US FBA Warehouses
This part can feel tricky for foreign sellers. You can work with freight forwarders, who help arrange transport in different ways like sea or air and also handle export or import paperwork. Their job is to deliver the goods directly to Amazon FBA warehouses in the US.
There are two main shipping methods. Sea Freight is nest for large shipments. It’s cheaper per kilogram, but it takes longer, usually about 30 to 50 days port-to-port. And the next one, air Freight which is Much faster, often just a few days, and usually chosen for small-size and lightweight products.
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Optimize Product Listing
One of the most important parts of your Amazon business is how you optimize and promote Amazon product listings on the Amazon website. You should write a clear and descriptive title that includes your high-priority keywords.
- Also, create bullet points that highlight the main benefits of each product to attract and convince customers. In the full description, expand with more details, explain the materials, features, and uses so customers clearly understand everything about your product.
- Pictures are very important too. Take high-resolution images from different angles of the product, preferably with a white background, to look professional.
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Marketing and Launch
. You can promote your products with Amazon PPC advertising, or get help from influencers and social media campaigns on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Promotions and discounts are also a good method.
Challenges Australian Sellers Face
Although every business has its own challenges, Australian sellers who want to expand their business to the US market face some special and unique difficulties.
- The first one is the cost of shipping. Sending products from Australia to the US can be expensive and slower compared to domestic selling. A better approach for beginners is to choose small-sized and lightweight products, or even buy products directly from US markets and send them to Amazon warehouses instead of shipping from Australia.
- Another big challenge is currency exchange and payment risks, since they can affect your profit margins. Currency converters sometimes offer less-than-optimal rates, so you need to factor this into your planning.
- Managing stock for an overseas market takes longer due to restocking delays, which means you must plan carefully to avoid running out of stock. To solve this challenge, many sellers use third-party services to help manage inventory and reduce stress.
Tips to Succeed in 2025
Here we tell you some extra tips and best practices to help you expand your profit as an Australian Amazon seller and prosper in the US marketplace.
As we see sellers doing in the past, using US-based 3PL providers can cut delivery times. They hold your inventory and even perform tasks like preparing or fulfilling all the orders for you.
Another tip is related to seasonal trends. Use seasonal events and holidays, because US customers have very high demand during those times, which can multiply your sales.
The next tip is about reinvestment. We suggest that once you expand your product line and find success with some items, you should reinvest your profit to scale up. This way, you can launch complementary products or variations and exponentially increase your sales.
Conclusion
Selling on Amazon US while you are an Australian seller is not only possible in 2025, but with a suitable plan and the right setup, it can also be very profitable. The US Amazon marketplace operates on a much larger scale, and you can increase your profit margin faster than you might expect. But be careful, success requires learning, diligence, effective advertising, and using the best product lists. With these strategies, you can expand your business worldwide.
FAQ Section
- Do I need a US company to sell on Amazon US from Australia?
No, you don’t need a U.S. company. As an Australian seller, you can sell on Amazon US with your personal details by submitting a W-8BEN form.
2- What is the cheapest way to ship products from Australia to Amazon US?
The cheapest way is ocean freight for bulk or heavy shipments, but if you need fast delivery, air shipping can be suitable.
3- Can I sell on Amazon US while living in Australia?
Yes, of course you can sell on Amazon while living in Australia. Seller Central works worldwide, and FBA handles U.S. storage and shipping for you.
4- How much does it cost to start selling on Amazon US from Australia?
The cost is very different depending on your business model, product type, and size, but it may need around $200 to $500 USD at the start.
5- Is Amazon FBA better than FBM for Australian sellers?
FBA is usually the best choice for Australian sellers because it offers fast Prime delivery and reliable U.S. warehousing.