Expanding your Amazon brand internationally is a straightforward method to strengthen your business. This approach not only boosts sales but also diversifies your income while accessing new customer groups. By reducing dependence on a single market, it serves as a strategic plan for ensuring long-term stability and growth.
Why Selling Globally on Amazon Is a Smart Move
If you’ve already found your footing and built a successful brand in your home country, the idea of expanding internationally can feel like a huge leap. It’s exciting, but it’s also natural to wonder: is the effort really worth it?
The short answer is a definite yes. Let me break down why.
Expanding isn’t just about finding more customers. It’s a strategic decision to build a much stronger, more stable business. When you’re all-in on a single marketplace, like Amazon US, you’re vulnerable to local economic dips, a sudden surge in competition, or unexpected policy changes that can derail your entire operation. Spreading your sales across multiple countries is your safety net.
Tapping into Massive Untapped Markets
The scale of the opportunity here is just huge. While the US market is incredibly competitive, many international marketplaces are still growing fast. This gives you a real chance to get in, become an established player, and build a presence before the competition gets too fierce.
Think about it. You have mature, high-spending markets like Europe and fast-growing regions like Australia and the UAE. These aren’t just small add-ons to your sales; they represent entirely new customer segments with different seasonal demands and buying habits. That summer product that sells like crazy for three months in the US might find a year-round audience in Australia.
The numbers don’t lie. As of early 2025, third-party sellers like you are driving over 60% of all product sales on Amazon. The platform’s total gross merchandise volume (GMV) soared to about $693 billion in 2023, fueled by an incredible 300 million users worldwide. By staying in just one country, you’re leaving a huge piece of that pie on the table.
Key Takeaway: Going global changes your brand from a local name into an international one. It protects you from market-specific downturns and opens up revenue streams you can’t access by staying put.
Before you jump in, it’s worth weighing the good against the bad. Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect.
Global Selling at a Glance: Key Considerations
| Benefit | Challenge |
|---|---|
| Diversified Revenue: Less risk from single-market downturns. | Complex Logistics: Managing inventory across multiple regions. |
| New Customer Bases: Access to millions of untapped shoppers. | Tax & Compliance: Handling different VAT/GST and import laws. |
| Less Competition: Opportunity to lead in emerging markets. | Localization Costs: Translating listings and adapting marketing. |
| Brand Growth: Establishes your brand on a global stage. | Customer Service: Handling inquiries in different languages/time zones. |
Expanding internationally is a significant step, but as you can see, the potential upside is huge. The challenges are real, but Amazon has built tools to help you manage them.
Country Marketplaces Overview
Amazon global selling gives brands access to buyers across more than 20 country-specific marketplaces. Each marketplace has its own scale in terms of customer traffic and sales volume. The table below highlights estimated annual visitors and revenue for every active Amazon marketplace, giving a clear picture of where the biggest opportunities exist.
| Marketplace (Country) | Annual Visitors (Million) | Annual Revenue (Billion USD) |
|---|---|---|
| United States (amazon.com) | ~ 250 – 300M | ~ 360B |
| Japan (amazon.co.jp) | ~ 80M | ~ 65B |
| United Kingdom (amazon.co.uk) | ~ 50M | ~ 32B |
| Germany (amazon.de) | ~ 50M | ~ 50B |
| France (amazon.fr) | ~ 30M | ~ 23B |
| Italy (amazon.it) | ~ 25M | ~ 18B |
| Spain (amazon.es) | ~ 20M | ~ 15B |
| Netherlands (amazon.nl) | ~ 10M | ~ 9B |
| Sweden (amazon.se) | ~ 8M | ~ 6B |
| Poland (amazon.pl) | ~ 10M | ~ 8B |
| Canada (amazon.ca) | ~ 40M | ~ 15B |
| Mexico (amazon.com.mx) | ~ 15M | ~ 8B |
| Brazil (amazon.com.br) | ~ 40M | ~ 7B |
| Australia (amazon.com.au) | ~ 20M | ~ 8B |
| Singapore (amazon.sg) | ~ 5M | ~ 2.5B |
| India (amazon.in) | ~ 200M | ~ 7B |
| United Arab Emirates (amazon.ae) | ~ 4M | ~ 1.5B |
| Saudi Arabia (amazon.sa) | ~ 5M | ~ 2B |
| Egypt (amazon.eg) | ~ 3M | ~ 1B |
| Turkey (amazon.com.tr) | ~ 15M | ~ 5B |
| South Africa (amazon.co.za) | ~ 3M | ~ 0.8B |
| China (amazon.cn) | N/A (retail reduced) | ~ 0.5B |
Use Amazon’s Global Infrastructure
Honestly, one of the biggest roadblocks to international expansion used to be logistics. The thought of setting up international warehousing, figuring out cross-border shipping, and dealing with returns in another country was a total headache for most sellers.
But today, Amazon’s global infrastructure does all the heavy lifting for you.
With programs like FBA Export, North American Remote Fulfillment (NARF), and Pan-European FBA, you can plug directly into Amazon’s incredibly powerful logistics network. This lets you reach customers all over the world without having to build a global supply chain from scratch. You can learn more about the mechanics in our guide to what Amazon FBA is. This system takes what was once a complex, expensive problem and makes it accessible even for smaller brands.
Essentially, Amazon has already built the superhighways; all you have to do is drive your products on them. This removes a massive barrier to entry and lets you test new markets with relatively low risk.
Reader Takeaway: The question isn’t if you should consider selling globally on Amazon, but when and where. The platform gives you the tools and infrastructure to make it happen. Your next move is to start digging in and figuring out which market is the best fit for your products.
Choosing Your First International Marketplace
Okay, you’re on board with selling internationally on Amazon. That’s the easy part. Now for the million-dollar question: where in the world do you start?
Picking the wrong marketplace first is a classic mistake. It’s like trying to sell snow shovels in the Sahara, a total waste of time, money, and morale.
Your first international launch shouldn’t be a shot in the dark. A smart, calculated decision here sets the foundation for all your future global success. So, resist the urge to just pick the biggest market you can think of. The goal is to find the right fit for your brand and your products.
Start with Data, Not Assumptions
Guesswork is the enemy of profit. The best place to start your search is by digging into the data you already have right inside your Seller Central account. It’s full of clues about where you might already have some traction.
Jump into your reports. Do you see any surprise international orders popping up via FBA Export? That’s a giant, flashing sign of existing demand. If you have your own website, check your analytics. Are you getting organic traffic from Canada, the UK, or Mexico? These are warm leads telling you exactly where to look first.
The idea is to follow the path of least resistance. Find that low-hanging fruit where customers are already trying to buy what you sell.
Analyze Your Product-Market Fit
Once you’ve got a shortlist of potential countries, it’s time to go a level deeper. What sells like crazy in the U.S. won’t automatically be a home run in Germany or Japan. Cultural nuances, local trends, and different consumer needs play a massive role.
Fire up your favorite product research tool, like Jungle Scout or Helium 10, but remember to switch the marketplace setting. You’re looking for a few key things:
- Keyword Search Volume: Are people actually searching for your type of product? A keyword that gets 50,000 searches a month in the U.S. might only get 1,000 in Australia. You need to know if there’s an audience.
- Competitor Analysis: Who are the top players in your niche? Dive into their listings, read their reviews, and check their pricing. If the market is completely dominated by a few huge brands with thousands of reviews, it might be a tough battle to win.
- Pricing and Profitability: This is a big one. You have to factor in international FBA fees, currency conversion rates, and local taxes (like VAT). Can you actually price your product competitively and still walk away with a healthy profit margin?
This research isn’t just a box-ticking exercise; it’s your business plan for that country. It’ll tell you if there’s a genuine opportunity or just a financial black hole waiting for your money. To get a better handle on how Amazon’s account structures work, you can explore our comparison of Amazon Vendor Central vs Seller Central.
Established vs. Emerging Markets
You’ll quickly find that international markets generally fall into two buckets: established and emerging. Each has its own pros and cons.
- Established Markets (e.g., UK, Germany, Japan): These are the heavy hitters. They have massive, active customer bases with a lot of spending power. The catch? They are incredibly competitive. You’ll be going up against sophisticated local sellers from day one.
- Emerging Markets (e.g., UAE, Australia, Brazil): These are the land of opportunity. You often get a first-mover advantage with lower competition, making it easier to rank and build your brand. The trade-off is a smaller customer base and logistics that can sometimes be less developed.
The growth in these newer markets is hard to ignore. Amazon’s international sales hit $33.51 billion in Q1 2025 alone, with total international sales jumping from $131.20 billion in 2023 to $142.91 billion in 2024. The fastest-growing regions include Australia, Brazil, and the UAE, signaling huge potential for sellers who get in early.
Expert Tip: Don’t overlook markets with strong cultural or linguistic ties to your own. For U.S. sellers, Canada and Australia are often the easiest first steps. The shared language and similar consumer habits remove a lot of the initial friction.
The screenshot below from Amazon’s own guide shows how the unified account structure makes managing multiple marketplaces much simpler than it used to be.
This visual really drives home how one unified account can unlock multiple countries in a region, like the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, making that first expansion feel a lot less intimidating.
Setting Up Your International Fulfillment Strategy
Once you’ve picked your first international market, the next big question is a practical one: how will you get your products to customers? This is where many sellers get bogged down, but honestly, with the right fulfillment strategy, it’s completely manageable. Your choice here directly affects everything from shipping speed and cost to your actual profit margins.
A smart fulfillment plan isn’t just about finding the cheapest option. It’s about building an efficient supply chain that keeps your new international customers happy without draining your bank account. Let’s break down the most common models so you can decide which one fits your business right now.
Amazon’s Fulfillment Programs Simplified
Amazon knows that logistics can be a massive hurdle, which is why they’ve created several programs to make cross-border selling easier. Instead of trying to build your own international network from scratch, you can just plug into theirs.
Here are the main options you’ll come across:
- North American Remote Fulfillment (NARF): This is a great entry point for U.S. sellers looking to test the waters in Canada and Mexico. You keep all your inventory in U.S. FBA centers, and when an order comes in from Canada or Mexico, Amazon handles the cross-border shipment. It’s incredibly low-risk because you don’t have to send inventory over the border yourself.
- European Fulfilment Network (EFN): Think of this as the European version of NARF. You can store your inventory in one EU country (like Germany) and fulfill orders from all the other EU marketplaces. It’s a straightforward way to get started in Europe without the complexity of storing stock in multiple countries right away.
- Pan-European FBA: This is the next level up for serious European expansion. You send your inventory to a single Amazon fulfillment center in the EU, and Amazon takes it from there, automatically distributing your stock across its European network based on where they predict customer demand will be. This means faster shipping for customers (often making your products Prime-eligible) and lower local fulfillment fees. The trade-off? You’ll have VAT registration obligations in multiple countries.
- Multi-Country Inventory (MCI): With MCI, you’re in the driver’s seat. You decide exactly which countries to store your inventory in, giving you precise control over your supply chain but also requiring more hands-on management.
To help you weigh the options, here’s a quick comparison of the main international FBA programs.
International FBA Program Comparison
| Program | Best For | Key Benefit | Main Drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| NARF & EFN | New international sellers testing new markets. | Low-risk entry; single inventory pool. | Higher fulfillment fees and slower shipping times. |
| Pan-European FBA | Sellers ready to scale aggressively across Europe. | Fast, Prime-eligible shipping and lower local fees. | Triggers multi-country VAT registration requirements. |
| Multi-Country Inventory (MCI) | Sellers wanting precise control over stock placement. | You choose exactly where your inventory is stored. | Requires more complex inventory management. |
Ultimately, each program serves a different stage of a seller’s international journey. Starting with a simpler option and graduating to a more advanced one is a common and effective path.
When to Consider a Third-Party Logistics Partner
Sometimes, Amazon’s programs aren’t a perfect fit, especially if you sell on other platforms or need more customized services. This is where a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) provider comes into the picture. Working with a 3PL can be a real help for managing the complexities of international shipping and warehousing. For instance, a 3PL can handle inventory for your Amazon, Shopify, and wholesale channels all from a single location.
Exploring the benefits of Third Party Logistics (3PL) can show you how they can simplify customs clearance, offer specialized kitting services, or provide more cost-effective storage for bulky items.
Still, the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program remains a powerhouse for a reason. With over 80% of sellers using it in 2024 and beyond, it’s a proven model for handling logistics and unlocking that coveted Prime eligibility. And with Amazon expected to serve around 321 million global users in 2025, tapping into this network is a powerful move.
My Takeaway: Your fulfillment strategy should always match your business goals. Start with a low-risk option like NARF to test a new market. As sales grow, you can move to a more advanced model like Pan-European FBA or MCI to cut costs and improve delivery speeds, creating a much better experience for your new international customers.
Handling Foreign Taxes and Compliance
Let’s dive into the part of selling globally that makes most sellers a little nervous: taxes and legal compliance. It’s easy to get bogged down by acronyms like VAT, GST, and IOSS, but you can’t just ignore them. Getting this stuff right is what separates a sustainable global business from one that gets shut down overnight.
This isn’t about you becoming a tax lawyer. It’s about creating a simple, repeatable checklist to make sure you’re playing by the rules and avoiding nasty surprises down the road. Think of it as the foundation that protects all your future profits.
Understanding VAT and GST
When you sell in a new country, you’re not just dealing with Amazon’s rules; you have to follow the local government’s rules, too. The biggest one you’ll run into is registering for and collecting consumption taxes.
- Value Added Tax (VAT): This is the standard across the European Union and the UK. It’s a tax applied at each step of the supply chain. As the final seller, you’re responsible for collecting it from the customer and sending it to the government.
- Goods and Services Tax (GST): This is the same idea, just with a different name. Countries like Australia and Canada use this system. You collect a tax on the sale and remit it to the tax authorities. It’s as simple as that.
The key thing to understand is that your responsibility to register for these taxes is usually triggered by where your inventory is stored. If you’re using Pan-European FBA and Amazon moves your stock into a warehouse in Spain, you’ll almost certainly need a Spanish VAT number.
When Do You Need to Register for Taxes?
This is the big question, and the answer changes depending on the country and how you fulfill orders. A few common triggers for tax registration include:
- Storing Inventory in the Country: This is the main one. Holding stock in a European FBA center or a Canadian warehouse pretty much always requires you to register for VAT or GST there.
- Exceeding Distance Selling Thresholds: Some countries have rules where you have to register once your sales into that country cross a certain amount in a year, even if you don’t store inventory there.
- Using Amazon’s FBA Programs: Programs like Pan-European FBA automatically create VAT obligations in multiple countries because Amazon will move your inventory all over its network for you.
Important Note: Don’t think you’re flying under the radar. Tax authorities have gotten incredibly good at tracking online sales, and Amazon is required to report your data. Pleading ignorance won’t save you from penalties.
Simplifying Compliance with Amazon’s Services
The good news? You don’t have to handle this alone. Amazon has actually built tools to help sellers manage the headache of international tax compliance.
Amazon’s VAT Services is a program where you can connect with third-party tax providers right inside Seller Central. These pros can help you with:
- VAT registration in multiple European countries.
- Filing your periodic VAT returns.
- Dealing with tax authorities on your behalf.
While these services aren’t free, they are often way more affordable than trying to find an accountant in every single country. They turn a complicated, multi-step problem into a much more manageable task. Just remember that various fees, including these compliance costs, will eat into your profits. To get a better handle on how all the charges add up, check out our detailed breakdown of Amazon fees for sellers.
Product-Specific Regulations and Labeling
Beyond taxes, you also have to be sure your product is even allowed to be sold in the new marketplace and that it meets all the local standards. This is a huge deal for categories like supplements, electronics, toys, and cosmetics.
For instance, electronics sold in Europe need a CE mark to prove they meet safety standards. Food products might need ingredient lists in the local language, and children’s toys have incredibly strict safety testing requirements. One slip-up here can get your listings suspended and your inventory seized.
Reader Takeaway: Treat taxes and compliance as a non-negotiable part of your expansion plan. Before you send a single unit to a new country, map out your tax obligations and verify all product-specific regulations. Using Amazon’s built-in services can significantly reduce the complexity, letting you focus more on selling.
Adapting Your Listings for Local Shoppers
Here’s one of the biggest, and most common, mistakes I see sellers make when they go global: they treat their product listing like a document to be translated. They just run their title and bullet points through a translation tool, copy-paste, and call it a day.
Trust me, that’s a guaranteed recipe for failure.
Real success in a new marketplace isn’t about translation; it’s about localization. This means completely adapting your product page to fit the local culture, slang, and search behavior. Your product needs to feel like it belongs there, not like it’s some clunky foreign import.
Beyond Translation: Market-Specific Keyword Research
The keywords that bring you sales in the US might be completely invisible in Germany or Japan. Shoppers in different countries search differently, care about different features, and respond to totally different messaging. A direct translation almost always misses the nuances that drive clicks and sales.
For example, a US shopper might search for a “heavy-duty kitchen spatula.” But a German shopper? They’re probably typing in “robuster Pfannenwender.” A literal translation would sound awkward and, more importantly, it wouldn’t match what real customers are actually putting in the search bar.
This is exactly why marketplace-specific keyword research is a must. You have to get inside the head of the local shopper. Tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout are your best friends here, but you must remember to switch the marketplace setting to your target country. For a deeper dive on this, you can learn more about effective keyword research for Amazon.
Fine-Tuning Your Visuals and Messaging
Your images and A+ Content are just as important as your text, if not more so. Cultural preferences for colors, imagery, and even the types of models you feature can vary dramatically from one country to the next.
Start thinking about these adjustments:
- Main Image: Does your main image clearly show what the product is and does, without needing any English text to explain it? It has to pop on a crowded search results page, no matter the language.
- Lifestyle Photos: Use models and settings that feel familiar to the local audience. A photo of a family barbecue in a classic American backyard might not resonate with someone living in a high-rise apartment in Tokyo.
- A+ Content: This is your big chance to tell your brand’s story in a way that connects locally. Use this space to address common local concerns or highlight features that are especially valued in that specific market. As you adapt your listings, understanding comprehensive Amazon ASIN launch strategies can give you a major edge when entering a new marketplace.
Expert Tip: Don’t just translate your brand slogan; transcreate it. This is a subtle but powerful shift. It means you capture the original intent, humor, and emotion in a way that makes sense in the new language, even if the words are completely different.
Handling Local Pricing and Customer Service
Your pricing strategy needs a local touch, too. A simple currency conversion from USD just won’t cut it. You have to factor in local FBA fees, import duties, and VAT/GST. Spend some time researching your top competitors in the new marketplace to see where their prices land. Your goal is to be competitive locally, not just to match your US price tag.
Customer service is the final, crucial piece of the puzzle. Amazon requires that you provide support in the local language of the marketplace. This is a huge benefit of using FBA, as Amazon handles a lot of the customer-facing communication for you.
But for any direct inquiries that come your way, you’ll need a plan. Hiring a native-speaking virtual assistant from a platform like Upwork or FreeeUp can be a surprisingly cost-effective solution. They can manage customer questions, respond to feedback, and give you priceless insights into what local shoppers are actually saying about your products. That kind of feedback is pure gold for refining your listings over time.
Common Questions About Selling Globally
Even with the best game plan, stepping onto the global stage is going to bring up some questions. It’s totally normal. Let’s walk through some of the most common hurdles I see sellers thinking about when they get serious about selling globally on Amazon.
Do I Need a Separate Amazon Account for Each Country?
Thankfully, no. This used to be a massive headache, but Amazon has made huge improvements with its unified accounts, which group major regions together.
For instance, a single North American unified account lets you manage your sales in the US, Canada, and Mexico all from one dashboard. The European account is the same deal, it bundles the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
You can then link these regional accounts together for a truly global view. This makes tracking sales and inventory so much simpler than juggling half a dozen different logins. It’s one of the best quality-of-life improvements Amazon has rolled out for international sellers.
How Do I Handle International Customer Returns?
This is where FBA becomes absolutely essential. When you use FBA in another country, customers there return items to a local Amazon fulfillment center. It completely sidesteps the headache of managing costly, individual international return shipments.
Once the item is back in Amazon’s hands, you’ve got a few options:
- Dispose: For a small fee, Amazon can just get rid of the item for you.
- Return to Seller: You can have returns consolidated and shipped back to you in bulk, which is far more affordable.
- Relist: If the product is still in perfect condition, it often gets put right back into your inventory to be sold again in that marketplace.
Basically, the system is set up to make returns almost as painless as they are in your home country.
What Is the Best Way to Get Paid in My Currency?
Getting your hard-earned cash from another country into your bank account is obviously a big deal. Amazon’s default tool is the Amazon Currency Converter for Sellers (ACCS). It’s dead simple; it automatically converts your foreign earnings and drops them right into your account.
But that convenience comes with a price tag. The exchange rates in ACCS are rarely the best you can get.
If you’re doing serious volume, a third-party payment service like Payoneer or WorldFirst is a smart move. They provide you with a local receiving bank account in other countries, letting you hold funds in that currency and convert them when the exchange rate is more favorable. This can add a few percentage points directly back to your bottom line.
Should I Run PPC Ads in a New Marketplace?
Yes. Absolutely. PPC is your fastest path to getting eyeballs on your product when you’re the new kid on the block. It’s how you get your product in front of real shoppers while you’re still working on building organic rank and collecting those crucial first reviews.
You don’t need a massive budget to get going, either. Here’s a smart way to approach it:
- Do Local Keyword Research: Don’t just translate your keywords from home. Dig in and find out what local shoppers are actually searching for.
- Kick Off with an Auto Campaign: Let Amazon’s algorithm do the heavy lifting at first. It’s a low-cost way to find high-converting search terms you would have never guessed.
- Build Out Manual Campaigns: Take the winning keywords from your auto campaign reports and build highly targeted manual campaigns around them.
Ad costs are often much lower in emerging markets, so you can frequently get a great ROI and build sales velocity much faster than you might think.
