Do not create an Amazon GWD 2026 shipment until you have verified the service, product, origin, and destination in your own Seller Central account. Then confirm the shipping terms, carton data, labels, and inventory plan against the current workflow.
This runbook is for sellers sourcing products in China and considering Amazon GWD for inventory movement.
Shipment operators and logistics owners can use it to record each handoff.
Team leads can use the decision branches to continue, fill a gap, or pause.
Last updated October 29, 2026. The guidance below distinguishes Amazon’s dated announcements from its current GWD help page and the options visible in your account. Recheck those sources before dispatch because service access and workflow details can change.
SECTION 01Start with the route, not the announcement
Write down the shipment you intend to make before opening a workflow. Record the product and SKU, source location, intended destination, and the Amazon inventory path you plan to use. This prevents a common operational error: treating GWD, AWD, FBA, and Amazon Global Logistics as interchangeable names for one service.
| Service or path | What to verify in your own workflow | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| Global Warehousing and Distribution (GWD) | Whether GWD appears for your account, product, origin, and intended destination | That an announced expansion means your account can create a shipment on that route |
| Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) | Whether the AWD workflow and its current requirements match your inventory plan | That AWD instructions automatically apply to GWD |
| Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) | Whether your planned destination and shipment process are for inventory entering the fulfillment network | That an FBA shipment is the same as a GWD shipment |
| Amazon Global Logistics | Whether a logistics service is available and what responsibility, import, and clearance terms apply | That using a logistics service settles every importer or customs obligation |
Use the current Amazon GWD shipping help page as a reference, but treat the workflow shown to your account as the operational test. Amazon’s public announcements provide useful context, not proof that a particular seller, item, or route is enabled.
The dated announcements illustrate why that distinction matters. Amazon published a GWD announcement about Yangtze River Delta warehouse locations on July 24, 2026, and an announcement about its first Shenzhen warehouse on August 19, 2026. Those dates and locations describe announced developments. They do not establish that every seller can use every origin or destination, or that the same workflow is already available to every account. Check the July 24 announcement and the August 19 announcement alongside your account, not instead of it.
| Checkpoint | Evidence to capture | Stop condition |
|---|---|---|
| Account and service | The GWD entry or workflow page visible to the account | Service entry missing or access unclear |
| Product and SKU | Product status, SKU, and any workflow validation message | Product cannot be selected or has an unresolved restriction |
| Origin and destination | The exact origin and destination shown in the shipment plan | Planned route is unavailable or differs from the supplier’s handoff point |
| Shipping and carton data | Written terms, quantity, carton details, and the page’s label instructions | Any party disputes responsibility or the submitted details do not match |
| Dispatch and receipt | Submission state, carrier handoff proof, transport record, receiving evidence | Status or quantity cannot be reconciled |
SECTION 02Step 1: Verify account, product, and route eligibility
Open Seller Central using the account that will own or operate the shipment. Check for the current GWD entry and follow the workflow far enough to see whether it accepts the relevant product and route. An announcement, a colleague’s account, or a screenshot from a different seller does not demonstrate that your account has the same access.
Record the details that determine whether your proposed shipment is actually supported:
- Which seller account and marketplace are being used?
- Can you select the item or SKU in the GWD flow?
- Does the workflow show the intended origin and destination?
- Does it present any account, product, or route restriction?
- Is the next action available, or does the flow stop before shipment creation?
Do not treat a missing menu as a reason to invent a workaround. It may reflect account access, product eligibility, a route that is not available to you, or a changed page. Save the screen or exact message, then ask Amazon or the responsible logistics contact to clarify the blocker. If your team collaborates across time zones, a shared remote workstation can help keep the account context and handoff notes together; the MACNOX remote Mac workspace overview explains that kind of working environment. It does not grant GWD access or change eligibility.
SECTION 03Step 2: Reconcile inventory and shipping terms
Before building the shipment, compare the seller-side inventory plan with the supplier’s packing and shipping information. The same SKU, unit count, carton data, and handoff location should appear consistently in the records each party uses. If the supplier is quoting a different quantity or preparing a different carton configuration, resolve that difference before submitting a shipment plan.
Be explicit about who is responsible for each part of the movement. Confirm the agreed handoff point, the party arranging transport, the party responsible for applicable costs, and who will provide import or customs documentation. Do not infer these responsibilities from the service name or from a previous shipment on another path.
Amazon’s guidance on importing inventory to fulfillment centers describes seller responsibilities. For a shipment involving Amazon Global Logistics, also review the current guidance on importer-of-record and customs-clearance documentation. Use the terms shown for your actual arrangement. If the quote or handoff record does not make responsibility clear, get written confirmation from the supplier, carrier, or logistics owner before you proceed.
A route shown in a service announcement is not a shipping instruction. Your shipment plan, written transport terms, and current account workflow need to agree.
SECTION 04Step 3: Prepare the shipment in the current GWD flow
Create the shipment only after the eligibility and responsibility checks are complete. Work through the flow in order, and keep a record of the information it asks you to provide. Use the page instructions for the specific account and shipment; do not copy packaging, label, or carton requirements from an AWD or FBA process unless the current GWD guidance explicitly tells you to do so.
Before submission, compare these fields with the supplier and logistics records:
- Product identity and SKU
- Planned unit quantity
- Package or carton information requested by the page
- Origin and destination
- Transport arrangement and responsible party
- Any label or document the current workflow requires
If the page produces labels or shipment documents, check that they correspond to the shipment you intend to dispatch. Store the files with the shipment reference and note when they were generated. If a value changes after the supplier has packed the goods, update the workflow only after the parties agree on the corrected information. Do not submit one set of details and dispatch another.
The current Amazon GWD help page should guide the process for GWD. The separate AWD shipping help page is useful when you are evaluating AWD, but its instructions are not a substitute for the GWD workflow. Keep those references separate in your operating notes so a teammate does not apply the wrong process under time pressure.
SECTION 05Step 4: Save the pre-dispatch evidence
Before goods leave the supplier, retain a small, consistent evidence set. Save the shipment workflow state before and after submission, the shipment reference, the final item and carton information, and the labels or documents generated by the page. Keep written confirmation of the agreed shipping terms with the same record.
Ask the supplier or carrier for proof of handoff and keep it with the shipment file. The record should make it possible to tell which goods were handed over, when the handoff occurred, and which shipment reference they relate to. If the carrier record uses a different reference, add a note that connects it to the Seller Central shipment rather than leaving a reviewer to guess.
For team handoffs, record who completed each check and what remains open. Avoid storing account credentials in the shipment notes. Instead, identify the account context and the page or workflow state, then give the next operator the approved access route. This makes a later review more useful without treating a screenshot as proof of physical dispatch.
SECTION 06Step 5: Track milestones after dispatch
After the handoff, compare the Seller Central status with the carrier’s transport record and any receiving information as it becomes available. Use matching shipment references where possible. If references differ, document the relationship and preserve the original records.
Treat status and physical receipt as separate evidence. A page may show a workflow milestone, while the carrier record shows a handoff or movement event; neither alone confirms that the expected inventory quantity has been received. When a status does not progress as expected, save the page as displayed and check whether the carrier record shows a corresponding event. If the evidence conflicts, retain both versions rather than overwriting the earlier record.
A practical scenario: your supplier confirms dispatch, but the Seller Central shipment page still shows an earlier state. Do not report the inventory as received based on the supplier’s message, and do not assume the page alone proves the carrier failed to collect it. Match the shipment reference, request the relevant handoff record, and escalate with the timeline and supporting documents if the records remain inconsistent.
SECTION 07Step 6: Reconcile receipt and close the shipment file
When receiving information appears, compare the expected and recorded quantities by item and shipment reference. Note any discrepancy, the first point at which the records diverge, and the evidence that supports each side. Keep the submitted shipment details, carrier handoff proof, transport records, and receiving information together.
If the received quantity differs from the plan, first check for a data mismatch: a changed SKU, corrected carton count, reference-number difference, or supplier update that was not reflected in the submitted workflow. If those checks do not explain the difference, follow Amazon’s current support process and include the original records. A single status label is not a substitute for physical receiving evidence.
Keep a brief closeout note for the next shipment: what matched, what required correction, and which page or external record resolved the issue. This gives your operations team a reusable record without assuming that a past route or outcome guarantees future eligibility.
SECTION 08Choose whether to continue, correct, or pause
Use these decision branches before you authorize dispatch:
- If the GWD workflow is visible to the relevant account, accepts the product, and shows the intended origin and destination, then continue to verify shipping terms, carton details, and page-generated requirements. Otherwise, pause and confirm access or route availability with Amazon or your logistics owner.
- If the supplier’s quantity, packing information, and handoff point match the shipment plan, then prepare the shipment in the current GWD workflow. Otherwise, reconcile the discrepancy in writing before creating or submitting the shipment.
- If responsibility for transport, costs, and required import documentation is explicit, then retain the confirmation with the shipment record. Otherwise, do not assume who pays or who acts as importer; obtain a written answer first.
- If the submitted details, labels, and dispatch records refer to the same shipment, then release the goods under the agreed plan. Otherwise, correct the records or pause dispatch.
- If Seller Central status and receiving evidence agree, then close the shipment file. Otherwise, preserve the original records and escalate the discrepancy through the official support route.
SECTION 09FAQ
Which origins and products can I send through Amazon GWD?
Do not infer eligibility from a public expansion announcement alone. Check the current GWD workflow in your Seller Central account for the specific origin, destination, product, and account. If the service entry is absent, the product is blocked, or the route cannot be selected, treat that combination as unconfirmed and ask Amazon or your logistics owner before moving inventory.
What should I confirm before creating a GWD shipment?
Confirm that the account can access the relevant GWD workflow, the product and SKU can be included, and the intended origin and destination are selectable. Then reconcile quantity, carton details, labels, shipping responsibility, and the carrier plan with your supplier or logistics provider. Save the workflow state and written terms before you submit.
An Amazon announcement mentions expansion, but I cannot see GWD in Seller Central. What now?
Pause rather than treating the announcement as proof that your account is enabled. Record the account marketplace, product, intended origin and destination, and the page or error you see. Compare those details with the current Seller Central help guidance, then ask Amazon support or your logistics contact whether access is pending, unavailable for that route, or blocked by an account or product condition.
How should I investigate a difference between GWD shipment status and received inventory?
Keep the original shipment status, carrier handoff proof, transport records, carton or quantity details, and any receiving information together. Compare each record by shipment reference and item, and note where the quantity or milestone first diverges. Escalate through the official support process with that evidence; a page status alone does not prove the physical quantity received.
Your current alternative may be a supplier-managed shipment, a separately arranged logistics route, or another Amazon inventory path. Each can work, but unclear importer responsibility, route eligibility, and fragmented shipment records create avoidable review work. A remote Mac can help a distributed team review Seller Central and hand off records from one managed workspace; it cannot replace Amazon approval, change shipping terms, or resolve a carrier discrepancy. If you need that shared operating environment for a temporary project or cross-time-zone handoff, compare the MACNOX remote Mac plans with your existing setup before choosing.
Create the GWD shipment only when the account workflow, inventory details, route, and written transport terms agree. If one of those checks fails, pause the dispatch and resolve that specific gap first.