If you’ve got a container on the water or stuck at the port right now, Amazon just gave you a little room. Not a lot. Here’s what changed and how I’d use it.
What happened
Around October 30, 2026, Amazon posted a notice on its Seller Forums called “Temporary peak season extensions for international FBA shipments.” Amazon said many sellers are seeing longer ocean transit times, port delays and customs holds this peak season, and it made two temporary changes for international shipment plans created between August 1 and November 30, 2026:
- In a multi-destination plan, the remaining related shipments now have 45 days to arrive after the first shipment is received, up from 30. If they make it inside 45 days, you won’t be charged the deleted or abandoned inbound defect fee.
- The automatic shipment closure window is extended to 90 days, so in-transit shipments get more time before they close.
Amazon also said the defect will still show on your Inbound Performance Dashboard even when the fee is waived, and any eligible defect fees already charged will be reimbursed automatically. You’ll see those in your Reimbursement report. No action needed to get it.
What it means for a growing brand
This is real relief if you got hit with defect fees because one leg of a split plan sat at the port. Go check your Reimbursement report.
But read the fine print. It only covers international plans created August 1 through November 30. The clock starts at the first receive, and day 45 is a hard edge. The defect still shows on your dashboard. And Amazon is telling you plainly that ocean and port delays are bad enough this year to change its rules. That’s not a sign things get smoother in December.
The bigger problem is what a split plan does to you in peak. Your inventory lands in pieces, at different times, at different Amazon buildings, and every piece has to beat its own clock. One late container and you’re juggling fees, stranded units and a listing that goes out of stock while half your stock is still somewhere in transit.
What to do this week
- List every open international multi-destination plan. For each one, write down three dates: when the plan was created, when the first shipment was received, and the 45-day deadline. If nothing has been received yet, note that too, because the clock hasn’t started.
- Check your Reimbursement report. Look for refunded inbound defect fees and match them to plans.
- Plans created after November 30 are back to 30 days unless Amazon says otherwise. Plan for that now.
- Think about landing your containers at a domestic warehouse first. Instead of sending a container straight into a split plan, you can receive it into a 3PL, check the counts, fix labels and prep, and then send FBA shipments from there when your stock is actually on the ground. You trade a bit of handling cost for control over timing. Price both options, including any inbound placement fees, before you pick.
- Keep a buffer for December. If you hold some stock outside Amazon, you can refill FBA as products sell instead of hoping everything lands on time.
Where Ship Depot fits
Our warehouse is in Palmdale, California, with partner fulfillment centers across the US. For Amazon sellers we do FBA prep: receiving, counts, inspection, labeling, bundling, and cartons built to Amazon’s requirements, then shipped into FBA when you’re ready.
If you need somewhere to hold your stock between the port and Amazon, we have pallet storage near Los Angeles starting at $18 per pallet per month. Your inventory shows up in our Extensiv warehouse system, so you can see what’s on hand yourself instead of emailing to ask.
If you’ve got a container landing late, or a split plan you’re worried about, call me. I’ll tell you honestly what we can receive and turn around for you, and whether it makes more sense to send it straight to Amazon.
Call me at 818-510-1499, or request an FBA prep quote using the form on our FBA prep page.
— Argin, Ship Depot