Struggling to break through your domestic market’s ceiling?
While many sellers exhaust themselves fighting for fractions of market share at home, Amazon’s international marketplaces represent vast, often less competitive territories ripe for expansion.
With over 20 global marketplaces spanning six continents, Amazon offers a turnkey solution for businesses seeking international growth without the traditional headaches of global commerce.
There’s no need to build new websites, establish foreign business entities, or navigate unfamiliar payment systems.
This guide will equip you with the essential strategies to successfully tap into the multi-billion dollar potential of Amazon’s worldwide selling network.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Amazon’s Global Footprint
- Strategic Market Selection
- Setting Up Your International Seller Account
- Product Listings and Localization
- International Fulfillment Strategies
- Managing Financial Complexities
- Tax and Legal Compliance
- Tools for International Success
- Keys to Sustainable Global Growth
- Leveraging Amazon’s Global Marketplaces to Overcome Tariff Challenges in 2025
- How Eva Can Supercharge Your International Amazon Success
- Frequently Asked Questions About Selling on Amazon’s International Marketplaces
Understanding Amazon’s Global Footprint
Amazon operates more than 20 international marketplaces spanning four major regions:
- Americas: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil
- Europe: United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Belgium, Turkey
- Asia-Pacific: Japan, India, Australia, Singapore
- Middle East & North Africa: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt
Each marketplace represents a distinct opportunity with unique customer bases, preferences, and regulatory environments.
Amazon simplifies management by grouping many of these marketplaces into unified account structures (North America Unified Account, Europe Unified Account), allowing you to manage operations within a region from a single interface.
Strategic Market Selection
Not all international markets will be right for your business. Consider these critical factors when choosing where to expand:
- Market Size and E-commerce Maturity: Larger markets offer greater potential but often come with fiercer competition
- Language and Cultural Barriers: Can you effectively communicate with customers and adapt to local preferences?
- Competition Analysis: Research competitor presence and pricing in your product category
- Product-Market Fit: Does your product meet local standards and appeal to local consumers?
- Regulatory Complexity: Each market has different tax, import, and compliance requirements
Many successful global sellers adopt a phased approach—starting with one region, mastering its operations, and then expanding to additional markets as they build expertise and resources.
Setting Up Your International Seller Account
Account Structures
Amazon offers two primary account structures for international selling:
- Unified Accounts: Manage multiple countries within a region (North America or Europe) from a single Seller Central dashboard
- Linked Accounts: Required for cross-regional expansion (e.g., North America to Europe), with separate management but connected for certain functionalities
Registration Requirements
To register for international marketplaces, you’ll need:
- Business details and documentation
- Credit card for billing
- Bank account information
- Tax identification
- Identity verification documents
- Additional KYC documentation (especially for European marketplaces)
You must either reside in or have a business registered in an Amazon-approved country, and professional selling plans are typically required for serious international sellers.
Product Listings and Localization
Creating International Listings
You have two main options when listing products:
- Match to Existing ASINs: If your product already exists in the target marketplace
- Create New Listings: Develop entirely new detail pages with localized content
Effective Localization
Proper localization goes far beyond basic translation:
- Professional Translation: Avoid machine translation for critical content
- Local Keyword Research: Identify high-performing search terms in each market
- Cultural Adaptation: Adjust messaging and imagery to local customs and preferences
- Technical Adjustments: Convert units, sizing, and specifications to local standards
- Customer Support: Provide assistance in the local language (unless using FBA)
Product Compliance
Every market has unique regulations that must be navigated:
- Safety Certifications: Meet local standards (CE in Europe, PSE in Japan, etc.)
- Labeling Requirements: Adhere to local language and content rules
- Restricted Categories: Verify that your products are permitted
- Country-Specific Laws: Some markets require local business addresses
Non-compliance can lead to listing removal, account suspension, or legal penalties, making this an area where cutting corners is particularly risky.
International Fulfillment Strategies
Your fulfillment approach is perhaps the most important operational decision in your international expansion. Amazon offers several models:
FBA Export: Ship inventory to your home country’s fulfillment center; Amazon handles international shipping to customers
- Pros: Simple setup, minimal commitment
- Cons: Not Prime-eligible, longer shipping times, limited product categories
FBA In-Country/Region: Import inventory to fulfillment centers in target markets
- Pros: Prime eligibility, fast delivery, better customer experience
- Cons: Complex setup, tax registration requirements, need for Importer of Record
Seller-Fulfilled (FBM): Manage international shipping directly
- Pros: Full control, potential to avoid foreign tax obligations
- Cons: Higher shipping costs, slower delivery, customer service challenges
Most successful international sellers eventually transition to FBA In-Country for key markets, while perhaps using FBA Export or FBM for testing or secondary markets.
Managing Financial Complexities
Payment Processing
You have several options for receiving international payments:
- Amazon Currency Converter for Sellers (ACCS): Receive payments in your home currency
- Local Bank Accounts: Potentially better exchange rates but may require local entity
- Third-Party Solutions: Multi-currency accounts offering flexibility and cost savings
Fee Structures
Carefully calculate all costs when pricing your products:
- Referral fees (percentage of sales)
- FBA fees (storage and fulfillment)
- Subscription fees
- Advertising costs
- Currency conversion fees
- Returns processing
Tax and Legal Compliance
This is often the most challenging aspect of international selling. Key considerations include:
VAT, GST, and Tax Registration
- Storing inventory in a country typically triggers immediate tax registration requirements
- The EU One-Stop Shop (OSS) can simplify VAT reporting within Europe
- Professional tax advisors are strongly recommended, especially for complex regions
Import Compliance
- Understand your responsibilities as Importer of Record
- Prepare accurate customs documentation
- Decide between Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) or Duty Unpaid (DDU) shipping terms
Intellectual Property Protection
- Register trademarks in key markets
- Utilize Amazon Brand Registry for enhanced protection
- Understand local consumer protection and data privacy laws
Tools for International Success
Amazon provides several resources to support global sellers:
- Sell Globally Dashboard: Centralized view of international performance
- Marketplace Product Guidance: Insights on global demand
- Build International Listings (BIL): Automates offer creation across marketplaces
- Seller University: Training materials and documentation
Additionally, many third-party solutions exist for inventory management, compliance, and financial operations across markets.
Keys to Sustainable Global Growth
The most successful international Amazon sellers share these common practices:
- Research-Driven Expansion: Choose markets based on data, not assumptions
- Phased Growth: Master one region before expanding to the next
- Compliance Focus: Invest in proper tax and regulatory management from day one
- True Localization: Adapt completely to each market, not just translate
- Strategic Fulfillment: Choose the right logistics model for each market
- Customer-Centric Approach: Provide local-quality customer service everywhere
- Get the Help of a Top Amazon Agency: Global selling is both lucrative, and complicated
International selling on Amazon represents one of today’s most accessible pathways to global business growth.
While the complexity shouldn’t be underestimated, a methodical approach, combined with Amazon’s infrastructure and tools, can help businesses of all sizes successfully navigate the challenges of global e-commerce and tap into the tremendous opportunities of worldwide selling.
Leveraging Amazon’s Global Marketplaces to Overcome Tariff Challenges in 2025
The dramatic shift in U.S. trade policy has created significant hurdles for Amazon sellers in 2025, with Chinese imports facing tariffs up to 245% and a universal 10% minimum duty applying to most other imports.
These changes have compressed seller margins by 8-15% across major categories. However, Amazon’s international marketplace network offers strategic opportunities to mitigate these pressures.
Strategic Approaches for International Selling
Diversify Beyond U.S. Markets Amazon’s global marketplace presence allows sellers to reach customers in regions with more favorable tariff structures. By selling directly on platforms like Amazon UK, Germany, Japan, or Australia, merchants can avoid U.S.-specific tariffs while taking advantage of different de minimis thresholds and duty exemptions that still exist in many countries.
Optimize Supply Chain Geography The new tariff landscape encourages sourcing diversification. Many sellers are shifting production to countries like Vietnam, India, and Taiwan to reduce tariff exposure. Amazon’s regional fulfillment programs, including Pan-European FBA and North America Remote Fulfillment, enable efficient inventory distribution that minimizes both tariff impacts and shipping delays.
Strategic Inventory Placement Sellers can leverage bonded warehouses and foreign trade zones to defer duties until final sale or avoid them entirely for re-exports. By maintaining local inventory for local sales, merchants bypass the need to route products through high-tariff regions like the U.S.
Dynamic Multi-Market Management International selling allows for flexible pricing strategies that can offset higher costs in tariff-heavy markets with better margins elsewhere. Proper product classification using optimized HTS codes can sometimes reduce applicable duty rates across different destination markets.
Implementation Considerations
While expanding internationally offers tariff mitigation benefits, sellers must navigate market-specific compliance requirements, including VAT registration, product safety standards, and labeling laws. Supply chain adjustments require capital investment and operational changes, while new fulfillment patterns may introduce shipping challenges that require proactive inventory planning.
Best Practices for Global Sellers
Successful international Amazon sellers in 2025 should regularly recalculate landed costs using current tariff information, diversify supplier and marketplace relationships, optimize inventory placement using Amazon’s regional programs, and stay informed about evolving trade policies.
In today’s challenging trade environment, expanding globally is no longer just a growth strategy; it’s becoming an essential risk management approach that allows sellers to maintain competitive pricing and operational resilience despite shifting tariff pressures.
How Eva Can Supercharge Your International Amazon Success
Expanding to Amazon’s international marketplaces creates enormous potential but also introduces layers of complexity that can overwhelm even experienced sellers. This is where Eva’s comprehensive e-commerce solutions can transform your global Amazon strategy.
AI-Powered Optimization for Global Markets
Eva’s AI technology specializes in hourly bid optimization across international marketplaces, focusing uniquely on inventory levels, conversion rates, and profitability. This precision-targeting approach is crucial when managing campaigns across multiple countries with varying competitive landscapes and consumer behaviors.
Expert Management Across Borders
Eva combines advanced technology with marketplace specialists who understand the nuances of each international Amazon marketplace. Their team provides:
- Product category insights tailored to regional preferences
- Advanced audience targeting strategies for each market
- Expert catalog management that maintains consistency while adapting to local requirements
- Hands-on experience navigating the complexities of international Amazon selling
Comprehensive Analytics for International Success
Making data-driven decisions is even more critical when selling internationally. Eva provides:
- Store-level visibility across all your Amazon marketplaces
- Product-level analytics that track performance in each region
- Daily sales monitoring to identify emerging trends by country
- Operational insights that highlight opportunities for cross-market optimization
Inventory Management for Global Operations
Eva’s inventory management solutions help prevent one of the biggest challenges in international selling—maintaining appropriate stock levels across multiple marketplaces:
- Inventory-aware advertising that prevents promoting out-of-stock items
- Replenishment forecasting to optimize your global inventory distribution
- Inventory health monitoring to avoid excess storage fees in international fulfillment centers
Maximizing Profit Recovery
Eva’s reimbursement services can recover lost revenue across all your Amazon marketplaces with specialists who understand the nuances of Amazon’s policies in each region.
With over $6 billion in sales generated for customers and a record of increasing profits by an average of 51%, Eva provides the technology and expertise needed to transform the complexities of international Amazon selling into a sustainable competitive advantage.
Want to talk strategy? Book a free consultation with our team.
Frequently Asked Questions About Selling on Amazon’s International Marketplaces
The best first international marketplace depends on your product category, language capabilities, and resources. Many North American sellers find Canada or the UK easiest due to minimal language barriers. European sellers often expand within the EU first to leverage unified accounts. Consider market size, product demand, and competition levels in your specific category before deciding.
Not necessarily. Amazon offers unified account structures for regions like North America (US, Canada, Mexico) and Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, etc.). With unified accounts, you can manage multiple marketplaces from a single Seller Central dashboard. However, you’ll need separate accounts for cross-regional expansion (e.g., North America to Europe).
For testing international markets with minimal commitment, FBA Export is most cost-effective as it uses your domestic inventory to fulfill international orders. For serious market entry, FBA In-Country typically provides the best customer experience (with Prime eligibility) but requires importing inventory to local fulfillment centers. Seller-fulfilled international shipping is generally the least recommended due to high shipping costs and customer service challenges.
Tax requirements vary significantly by country. In many regions, storing inventory (via FBA) creates an immediate tax registration requirement. In the EU, the One-Stop Shop (OSS) system can simplify VAT reporting. Most successful international sellers work with tax professionals specializing in e-commerce to ensure compliance and avoid penalties or account suspensions.
You can use existing ASINs if your product is already listed in the target marketplace. However, effective international selling requires proper localization—not just translation. This includes adapting titles, bullets, and descriptions to local search terms, cultural preferences, and buying habits. Product listings should also comply with local regulations regarding product information disclosures.
Eva’s platform provides specialized tools for international selling, including AI-powered advertising optimization across marketplaces, inventory management that prevents stockouts in international fulfillment centers, and centralized analytics that track performance across all your global Amazon accounts.
Eva’s experts understand the nuances of each marketplace and can help navigate complex challenges like tax compliance, localization, and cross-border fulfillment.
