On July 7, 2026, Amazon officially announced the launch of its Global Warehouse Distribution (GWD) hubs in East China, with dual warehouses in Shanghai and Ningbo now operational. Following the full operation of the first GWD center in Shenzhen this April, this marks another key move in Amazon’s cross-border logistics network, forming a dual-region "South China + East China" layout.

Overview of the Two New Warehouses

GWD Shanghai Warehouse

· Location: Shanghai Lingang New Area, adjacent to Yangshan Deep-Water Port

· Area: Nearly 20,000 square meters (about the size of three standard football fields)

· Configuration: ASRS automated storage and retrieval system + high-bay rack warehouse, equipped with 574 high-speed conveyor lines

· Opening: Officially open for inbound shipments on July 16, 2026

GWD Ningbo Warehouse

· Location: Adjacent to Meishan Port Area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port

· Configuration: ASRS automated warehouse with a height of 40 meters, the tallest automated warehouse Amazon has in Asia

· Opening: Expected to open for inbound shipments in Q3 2026

Why the Yangtze River Delta

The Yangtze River Delta region clusters highly competitive industrial belts such as home goods, furniture, textiles, small home appliances, and consumer electronics, with a dense concentration of export-oriented manufacturers and a large number of active cross-border e-commerce sellers. It also boasts two world-class container ports, Yangshan and Meishan, offering inherent advantages in port distribution.

In terms of differentiated positioning, the Shanghai warehouse leverages Yangshan Port to focus on comprehensive small items and multi-category fast-turnover goods; the Ningbo warehouse’s ultra-high ASRS is tailored for large and heavy items like furniture and appliances, aligning with the local home furnishing industry cluster advantage.

Core Value for Sellers

· Cost Reduction: Origin warehousing costs can be up to 45% lower than storage in the US. Sellers can maintain low-cost inventory near factories, avoiding cash flow pressure from large-scale stocking.

· Faster Delivery: GWD orders seamlessly integrate with Amazon Global Logistics (AGL), reducing overall transit time by up to 7 days.

· Simplified Operations: Sellers only need to deliver goods to GWD, and Amazon handles export customs clearance, cross-border transportation, import customs clearance, and FBA intake in one stop.

· Flexible Inbound: Supports "One-box shipping", no minimum shipment quantity, suitable for batch replenishment and new product testing.

New Features Launched Simultaneously

· Auto Replenishment: The system intelligently calculates replenishment quantities based on sales data, inventory levels, and transit times, and automatically executes replenishment. Moreover, auto-replenishment inventory is not restricted by FBA storage capacity limits.

· FOB Trade Terms: Officially launched, allowing sellers to apply for export tax rebates more conveniently, supporting tax rebate upon warehousing and flexible returns.

· 30-Day Free Storage: From July 1 to December 31, 2026, inventory received at GWD Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Ningbo warehouses enjoys 30 days of free storage from the date of receipt.

Future Plans

Currently, GWD supports replenishment to Amazon’s FBA network in the US. In the future, it will gradually expand to sites in the EU, UK, Japan, Canada, and beyond, enabling the same pool of inventory to be intelligently allocated by the system to serve multiple sites simultaneously, truly achieving "warehouse once, supply globally."

Industry Impact

Amazon’s accelerated GWD deployment has triggered a supply chain race among cross-border e-commerce platforms. AliExpress relies on the Cainiao You Choice Warehouse system, while Temu is advancing consolidated warehousing and distribution domestic transit hubs. The three are fiercely competing on logistics infrastructure capabilities, and logistics infrastructure is overtaking product supply and traffic as the core bargaining chip for winning Chinese sellers.

For sellers in the Yangtze River Delta, the arrival of GWD means they can complete the entire process from warehousing to cross-border shipping right at their doorstep. Cross-border expansion is shifting from a "heavy asset" model to a "light asset" model.