Amazon has added two China-to-U.S. air freight options to its Amazon Global Logistics portfolio, with transit times of 7 to 10 days and 11 to 15 days respectively, the company announced to sellers the week of Oct. 8, 2026. Neither service's pricing was disclosed.

The moves extend Amazon's push into first-party freight forwarding — competing directly with third-party forwarders on the Transpacific lane — while tightening its control over how sellers position inventory in U.S. fulfillment centers.

What does Air SMP change for inventory placement?

Air SMP lets sellers split their inventory at origin and ship directly to fulfillment centers in five U.S. regions via daily flights from Shanghai and Hong Kong. Estimated arrival runs 7 to 10 days after pickup.

The fee structure targets Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) users directly:

• No inbound placement fee for FBA users
• No additional surcharge on apparel, electronics or lithium battery products

Air SMP builds on Amazon's Seller Managed Placement capabilities, which previously included ocean transportation. By splitting inventory at origin before shipping to regional locations, sellers can optimize product distribution across fulfillment centers, according to Amazon's program documentation.

Placement control matters for channel economics: inventory pre-positioned in the right region cuts delivery times and reduces long, costly final-leg moves — a lever Amazon has worked as it pushes down end-customer delivery times.

How does Economy Air trade speed for cost?

Economy Air offers rates below Amazon Global Logistics' standard air freight service, with an estimated transit time of 11 to 15 days from Shanghai or Shenzhen to Los Angeles.

The benchmark: standard AGL air freight from Hong Kong or Shanghai to the U.S. typically runs 7 days. Economy Air gives up 4 to 8 days of transit in exchange for lower cost, while still beating ocean replenishment by weeks, Amazon noted.

That positions the service for sellers managing slower-turning stock where landed cost, not speed, drives margin.

Why is Amazon widening the freight portfolio?

Amazon frames the additions around three seller outcomes: "faster replenishment, more placement control, and lower costs."

"Both services are ideal for peak season preparation, stockout recovery, or time-sensitive product launches when ocean transit is too slow," Amazon said in the announcement.

The launch continues a steady buildout since Amazon introduced Amazon Supply Chain Services earlier this year. Amazon Global Logistics now covers air and ocean freight from China into the U.S., U.K., European Union and Japan, plus Vietnam-to-U.S. ocean shipping. In September, Amazon added a direct rail service under the same umbrella to move West Coast inventory to the East Coast faster.

For distributors and sellers weighing the offerings, the caveat is measured versus asserted: Amazon claims lower costs and faster replenishment but disclosed no rates publicly. Rates, service details and booking options sit behind the Amazon Global Logistics program portal.

With peak season approaching, sellers can now choose between speed (Air SMP with fee waivers), cost (Economy Air) or ocean — a fuller menu that keeps more of the freight decision, and the data that comes with it, inside Amazon's platform.