Sourcing, Freight & Compliance

Part of the AMZ Operator Series (companion to IDS) | Built July 2026 | Distilling: Kian Golzari (2,500+ products sourced), Steven Selikoff (Product Development Academy), Mike Jackness & Dave Bryant (EcomCrew), Ryan Petersen (Flexport), Zvi Schreiber (Freightos), Renaud Anjoran (Sofeast/QualityInspection.org), Sajag Agarwal (Movley), Dan Harris (Harris Sliwoski, China Law Blog), Paul Midler (Poorly Made in China)

The product you pick decides your ceiling. The supply chain you build decides whether you ever reach it. In the 2026 tariff era, the operator who models landed cost to the penny beats the operator with the better product. This module is the full pipeline: find the factory → lock the spec → verify quality → move the freight → clear customs → land in FBA — with every 2026 number that matters.

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#1. SUPPLIER DISCOVERY — WHERE OPERATORS ACTUALLY FIND FACTORIES

#1.1 Alibaba: the RFQ workflow (not the search bar)

Searching listings gets you trading companies with the best SEO. The RFQ (Request for Quotation) system makes vetted suppliers come to you — 10–20 quotes in 48–72 hours. Post with a spec sheet attached (Section 2). Exact template:

Subject: RFQ — [Product], [Qty] units, target ship [Month]

Hi, I'm [Name], purchasing manager at [Brand/LLC], a US brand selling
on Amazon in the [niche] category.

We are sourcing: [product, 1 sentence]
- Specs: [material, dimensions, weight, color, key function — see
  attached spec sheet]
- Certifications required: [e.g., CPC + ASTM F963 / FCC / UN38.3]
- Packaging: custom box, artwork supplied by us, FNSKU labels applied
  at factory
- Quantity: [X] units first order; forecast [3–4X]/year if quality holds
- QC: third-party pre-shipment inspection (AQL 2.5) — please confirm
  you accept this
- Terms: FOB [port], 30% deposit / 70% against inspection pass

Please reply with: (1) unit price at [X] and [3X] qty, (2) MOQ,
(3) sample cost + lead time, (4) production lead time, (5) whether
you are the manufacturer or a trading company, and (6) your business
license number.

Every element signals "professional buyer": certifications named, third-party QC declared, license requested. Factories quote flakes 10–15% higher. Amateurs get the amateur tax.

#1.2 Vetting: Gold Supplier means nothing

Gold Supplier is a paid tier (~$3–6K/yr), not a trust signal. Verify in layers:

Trading companies aren't always wrong (small MOQs, multi-product consolidation, English service) — but you must know you're paying their 10–20% markup, and price it (see Section 12 failure modes).

#1.3 The rest of the map (2026)

• 1688.com — Alibaba's domestic-China marketplace. Prices 20–40% below Alibaba for identical goods. Chinese-only, RMB, no export support: use a buying agent (3–8% commission) or agent platforms. Best for accessories, packaging, simple goods.
• Global Sources + Canton Fair — Selikoff's core method: trade shows collapse 6 months of vetting into 3 days. Canton Fair (Guangzhou, April & October, three phases — Phase 1 electronics/hardware, Phase 2 consumer goods/gifts, Phase 3 textiles/health). Global Sources show (Hong Kong, same months) skews electronics, higher-tier exporters. Walk the booth, handle the samples, meet the actual sales engineer.
• India — IndiaMart is the discovery layer (messier than Alibaba; expect slower comms, wider quality variance). Strong: textiles, leather, brass/metal, wood, rugs. 15% Section 122 applies but no Section 301 — often 10–25 points cheaper on duty than China.
• Vietnam — biggest tariff-arbitrage winner of 2026 (was 46% under IEEPA, now 15% flat — see Section 7). Furniture, footwear, bags, simple electronics assembly. No dominant B2B platform: source via agents, Global Sources Vietnam listings, or Chinese factories' Vietnamese sister plants. MOQs run higher; component supply chains still route through China.
• Mexico — nearshoring for heavy/bulky goods where ocean freight murders margin. USMCA-originating goods enter duty-preferential; 2-week truck transit; no CNY shutdown. Discovery is relationship-driven (industry directories, maquiladora brokers).
• Domestic US — Thomasnet (industrial/OEM), Maker's Row (small-batch consumer). Unit costs 2–4x China, but zero tariff exposure, 2-week replenishment, "Made in USA" listing angle, and viable for heavy, regulated, or fast-turn products.

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#2. THE GOLZARI SYSTEM — SPEC, QUESTION, NEGOTIATE, RELATE

Kian Golzari has sourced 2,500+ products (Olympics, GymShark, major retail). His system, distilled:

#2.1 The spec sheet is the product

Golzari's rule #1: never request a quote without a spec sheet — otherwise every factory quotes a different imaginary product and you can't compare. Minimum fields:

#2.2 Factory interrogation set

Ask ten suppliers the same questions — including five you'd never use; they'll teach you the product's cost drivers and failure points for free:

1. What's the factory's core process in-house (molding? sewing? assembly only?) — what's subcontracted?
2. Which US/EU brands do you produce for? (Verify via B/L.)
3. What's the #1 quality complaint on this product and how do you prevent it?
4. What raw-material stock do you hold from cancelled orders? (Golzari's discount lever — factories sit on paid-for materials they'll happily convert to cash.)
5. Price at 500 / 1,000 / 5,000 units — where are the real cost breaks?
6. Who owns the existing tooling? What does new tooling cost and who owns it if I pay?

#2.3 Negotiation levers beyond unit price

Price-only negotiation is amateur hour — a factory squeezed on price recovers it invisibly in materials (quality fade). Trade on:

• Payment terms — 30/70 → 20/80 → 30/70-net-30 after three clean orders. Cash-flow is worth more than 3% off.
• MOQ splits — one PO, two shipments 60 days apart; or MOQ across a color mix. Position as long-term partner; Golzari finds stated MOQs flex 30–50% for credible buyers.
• Tooling ownership — you pay the mold, contract states you own it, engraved with your mark, removable on demand (Section 4).
• Exclusivity — category or Amazon-channel exclusivity in your market for 12 months in exchange for volume commitment. Costs nothing to ask; blocks your clone.
• Free upgrades — better polybag, inserts, pre-applied FNSKU, one free reorder inspection. Factories concede services far more easily than price.

#2.4 Relationship playbook

Chinese manufacturing runs on 关系 (guanxi). The operator moves: pay deposits same-day; send a video intro of your team; WeChat over email; remember CNY with a note (and never squeeze prices the week before it); visit or video-call quarterly; Golzari's signature — ask for a live factory video tour the day before shipment ("show me my cartons"). Suppliers allocate capacity, priority, and honesty to buyers they like. During shortages, the liked buyer ships first.

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#3. SAMPLES — THE GOLDEN SAMPLE PROTOCOL

1. Round 1 (paid): order samples from top 3–5 quotes. Expect $25–100/sample incl. DHL; pay without whining — factories refund on first PO if you ask, and free samples create obligation dynamics.
2. Score them blind on a comparison card:

1. Pre-production sample: with your chosen factory, iterate until perfect — this becomes the golden sample: dated, signed/photographed, referenced in the PO ("production shall conform to golden sample #GS-2026-07 held by both parties"). Factory keeps one sealed; you keep one; your inspection company gets the photo set. Every future QC dispute is settled against it.
2. Any material/process change after golden sample = written change order. "Same same but different" is how quality fade starts.

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#4. DEAL TERMS, PAYMENT & IP PROTECTION

#4.1 Payment structures

#4.2 Tooling/mold clauses (put in the PO)

• Mold paid by buyer remains buyer's property; factory is custodian.
• Factory may not run the mold for any other customer.
• On request, mold released within 14 days; failure = penalty of [2x mold cost].
• Mold engraved/tagged with buyer's name. Photograph it on the machine.

#4.3 NNN, not NDA

A US-template NDA is close to worthless against a Chinese factory: punitive-damages clauses are invalid under Chinese contract law, "disclosure" isn't the harm (the factory using your design is), and a US-court judgment is unenforceable in China. Use an NNN agreement — Non-disclosure, Non-use, Non-circumvention — drafted by a China-side firm (Harris Sliwoski popularized the instrument):

• Governed by Chinese law, jurisdiction in the factory's local court (or CIETAC arbitration), Chinese-language version controlling.
• Liquidated damages clause (e.g., RMB 500K per breach) — enforceable, and gives a Chinese court a pre-agreed number, which is what makes factories take it seriously.
• Signed + company chop before you send spec sheets or golden samples. Cost: $750–2,500 one-time from a China IP firm. Also: file your trademark in China (first-to-file — a squatter can block your own factory from exporting your branded goods) and your US trademark for Brand Registry (AMZ 02).

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#5. QUALITY CONTROL — INSPECT OR GAMBLE

#5.1 Third-party inspection market (2026 rates)

One man-day covers a typical 500–3,000 unit consumer-goods lot ≈ $0.10–0.60/unit. A 2,000-unit order inspected for ~$300 is ~$0.15/unit against a defect catastrophe that costs you the listing.

#5.2 The three inspection gates

1. Pre-production (PPI): materials/components verified before line start. Use on first orders and after any spec change.
2. During production (DUPRO): at 20–40% complete — catches systematic errors while fixable. Use for >$30K POs.
3. Pre-shipment (PSI): at 100% produced, ≥80% packed. Non-negotiable on every order. The 70% payment releases only on PSI pass.

Plus: factory audit ($300–700) before the first big PO — verifies licenses, lines, capacity, social compliance; kills trading-company theater.

#5.3 AQL 2.5 in one table

Inspections sample per ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 (General Level II). Standard consumer-goods AQL: Critical 0 / Major 2.5 / Minor 4.0.

Defect classes: Critical = safety/legal (exposed wire, sharp edge, wrong label) → auto-fail. Major = customer would return it (broken function, big cosmetic flaw, wrong color). Minor = noticeable, wouldn't return (small scuff, loose thread). Define product-specific examples with photos in the spec sheet — otherwise the inspector decides for you. On fail: factory sorts/reworks 100% at own cost, then re-inspection at factory's expense (put this in the PO).

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#6. FREIGHT 2026 — MODE MATH AND FORWARDERS

#6.1 Mode selection table (China→US, mid-2026 spot ballparks)

2026 reality: transpacific spot is a policy derivative. The May 2026 US–China tariff truce triggered a front-loading surge into 10–15% blank-sailing capacity — rates jumped 31% in a week. Check the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX01) and Drewry WCI weekly (composite ~$3,433 in early June 2026); never budget freight off last quarter's number. Rule of thumb: a 40' HC holds ~65 cbm usable; at $4,000/FEU, freight is ~$62/cbm — pack density is a design decision (AMZ 03).

#6.2 Incoterms: FOB is the default for a reason

• EXW (ex-works): you handle China-side trucking/export clearance — only sensible with a strong forwarder and multi-factory consolidation.
• FOB (free on board, named Chinese port): factory delivers export-cleared onto the vessel; you choose forwarder and control the freight, docs, and destination charges. Default.
• DDP ("all-in to Amazon's door"): seller/forwarder is importer of record. The 2026 trap: post-de-minimis, gray DDP operators under-declare values and dodge Section 301/122 duties; CBP can pursue the beneficial owner (you) for back duties and penalties, and your inventory can sit in a seized container. If a DDP quote beats your FOB+duty math by 20%+, the duty isn't being paid. Avoid.

#6.3 Forwarders, brokers, bonds

• Forwarder tier list (FBA-focused, 2026): Flexport (best tech/visibility, priced for volume), Forceget (digital, Amazon-native, mid-market), Unicargo/Freightos-marketplace quotes for benchmarking. Vet: Amazon-delivery experience (appointment scheduling, carton compliance), all-in quotes (ocean + destination + trucking), US entity + license.
• Customs broker: usually bundled by the forwarder; clears entry, files duties. You still sign the POA — you own the declaration.
• ISF ("10+2"): filed ≥24h before vessel loading; late/missed = $5,000 per violation.
• Customs bond: continuous bond ~$500–600/yr covers unlimited entries 12 months (single-entry bonds stop making sense after ~2 shipments). Note 2026: bond sufficiency — high tariffs inflate duty liability; CBP may demand a larger bond ("stacking" liability). Your broker monitors this.

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#7. TARIFFS & DUTY ENGINEERING — JULY 2026 STATE OF PLAY

This section is time-stamped July 3, 2026. The stack has changed three times in 18 months; verify before every PO.

#7.1 The current China stack

Typical consumer good from China: MFN (~3%) + 301 (25%) + 122 (15%) ≈ 43% of customs value. List 4A goods: ~25%. IEEPA-era duties paid 2025–Feb 2026 are refundable — CBP's CAPE portal (ACE) opened Apr 20, 2026; file through your broker.

Watch-dates every operator should have in the calendar: Jul 24, 2026 (Section 122 expiry/extension) and Nov 10, 2026 (China reciprocal-tariff suspension + 301 exclusions expiry, per the Nov 2025 Trump–Xi truce).

#7.2 De minimis is dead — and that reshaped your competition

The $800 duty-free parcel exemption ended for China/HK May 2, 2025 and globally Aug 29, 2025. Every Temu/Shein/dropship parcel now pays full duty: Temu US daily actives fell ~52% (May vs Mar 2025), Shein ~25%, and thousands of direct-from-China Amazon competitors lost their structural price edge. FBA sellers importing by the container — paying duty at wholesale value, not retail — got more competitive. That's you. (Full model economics: AMZ 02.)

#7.3 Duty engineering (legal) vs duty evasion (prison)

• HTS classification: find your 10-digit code at hts.usitc.gov; duty differences between plausible codes can be 10+ points. For ambiguous products, get a binding ruling (CBP CROSS database for precedents; eRulings ~30 days, free) — it locks your rate and audit-proofs you.
• First-sale rule: in a factory→trader→you chain, pay duty on the factory price, not the trader's marked-up invoice — saves the markup × 43%. Requires bona fide sale documentation and arm's-length parties; CBP scrutiny is heavy (5-year lookback, 2–4x penalties for negligence) and a Feb 2026 Senate bill (Last Sale Valuation Act) threatens the rule. Use with a trade attorney, obtain a ruling.
• Country-of-origin shifting: origin = where substantial transformation occurs, not where the box was taped. Real move: final assembly with real value-add in Vietnam using Chinese components (common, defensible with process documentation). Fraud: transshipping finished Chinese goods through Vietnam with re-labeled origin — CBP task forces prosecute this as fraud; you're the importer of record, not your supplier.
• Tariff engineering proper: modify the product to a lower-duty classification before import (add a feature, change material %, import unassembled). Legal per precedent, but document engineering rationale.

#7.4 Country cost comparison (typical consumer good, July 2026)

The Feb 2026 shift to a flat 15% narrowed the China–Vietnam gap to roughly the Section 301 layer (7.5–25 pts). Rule: re-quote in Vietnam/India when your 301 layer is 25% and landed-cost delta exceeds 10% — but never move solely on tariff spread that can vanish with one court ruling; it already did once this year.

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#8. THE LANDED COST CALCULATOR

Landed cost is the only unit cost that exists. FOB price is an ingredient, not an answer.

LANDED COST PER UNIT =
    FOB unit price
  + tooling/molds ÷ amortization units
  + freight per unit        (shipment freight ÷ units)
  + duty & tariffs          ((FOB + assists) × total duty rate)
  + cargo insurance         (~0.3–0.5% × 110% shipment value)
  + inspection per unit     (man-days × rate ÷ units)
  + prep/labeling per unit  (FNSKU, polybag — factory or 3PL)
  + inbound placement fee   (Amazon, per unit by size/split choice)

WORKED EXAMPLE — 3,000 units, silicone kitchen product, FOB Ningbo:
  FOB unit price                                $4.20
  Tooling: $3,000 mold ÷ 10,000 units           $0.30
  Freight: 9 cbm LCL @ $200/cbm = $1,800        $0.60
  Duty: $4.20 × 43.4% (3.4 MFN + 25 §301
        + 15 §122)                              $1.82
  Insurance: 0.4% × ($12,600 × 1.1) ÷ 3,000     $0.02
  Inspection: 1 man-day $300 ÷ 3,000            $0.10
  Prep: factory polybag + FNSKU                 $0.08
  Inbound placement (std size, optimized
        splits accepted)                        $0.00
  ─────────────────────────────────────────────
  LANDED COST                                   $7.12
  (= 1.70 × FOB. Rule of thumb 2026, China std-size:
   landed ≈ 1.6–1.9 × FOB. Anyone modeling 1.2× is
   pricing a 2019 business.)

Run it at quote stage, at PO, and at re-order. Landed cost feeds price floor: landed × ~3 = minimum viable retail (AMZ 01 fee stack on top).

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#9. AMAZON-SPECIFIC PREP — SHELF-READY OR REJECTED

Amazon killed its own US prep/labeling services Jan 1, 2026. Inventory now arrives shelf-ready or gets refused. Prep happens at the factory (cheapest — cents/unit), a 3PL (flexible), or not at all (dead).

#9.1 Barcodes: GS1 or pain

• FNSKU (Amazon's X00… code) on every sellable unit, covering all other scannable barcodes. Print files from Seller Central → factory applies at packout.
• GTIN/UPC: buy from GS1 directly ($30/single GTIN, no renewal; prefix license if scaling SKUs). Cheap reseller UPCs carry someone else's company prefix — Amazon validates against the GS1 database (GTIN + brand ownership), mismatches suppress listings and poison Brand Registry. The $25 you save costs you the catalog.
• GTIN exemption exists for true no-barcode private label, but Brand Registry + GS1 is the professional path.

#9.2 Physical prep rules (the ones that get shipments refused)

• Boxes: ≤ 50 lb per carton (≤100 lb single oversize item with labels), max 25" on any side for standard-size product cartons.
• Polybags: suffocation warning printed on any bag with ≥5" opening; ≥1.5 mil thickness; barcode scannable through bag.
• Sold-as-set units marked "Sold as set — do not separate."
• Expiration-dated goods: 36-pt date format, ≥105 days shelf life at check-in.
• SIPP (Ships in Product Packaging): certify your box ships as-is with no Amazon overbox — saves material and, at scale, meaningful per-unit fulfillment cost (bulky items see $4+/unit swings). Min carton 6×4×0.375"; lab or self-test certification via Seller Central.
• Case packs: identical SKU/quantity per carton, ≤150 units/case.

#9.3 Routing decision: direct FBA vs AWD vs 3PL

Placement-fee minimization strategy: (1) accept optimized splits and let your forwarder deliver to 4+ FCs, or (2) route FCL → AWD and let auto-replenishment kill the fee, or (3) claim the FBA New Selection waiver (first 100 units/new parent ASIN). Model all three per shipment — the answer flips with carton count and cubic feet.

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#10. COMPLIANCE — THE PAPERWORK THAT KEEPS THE ACCOUNT ALIVE

• Product liability insurance: Amazon requires, within 30 days of exceeding $10,000 gross sales in any month: $1M per occurrence + $1M aggregate commercial general/product liability, Amazon named as additional insured. Cost ~$500–1,000/yr (Next, Hiscox, Spott). Get it at launch, not at the deadline email.
• CPSIA (children's products ≤12 yrs): third-party testing at a CPSC-accepted lab (Intertek/SGS/TÜV, $300–1,500/SKU), Children's Product Certificate (CPC) you draft yourself from the test report, permanent tracking label on product. Amazon will ask; no CPC = suppression.
• FDA-touching categories: food contact (test reports), supplements (cGMP facility, labeling rules), cosmetics (MoCRA facility registration + product listing), anything medical-claim = device territory — don't wander in accidentally.
• EU/UK (if expanding): CE/UKCA marking where applicable; GPSR (in force Dec 13, 2024) requires an EU Responsible Person with address printed on product/packaging — no RP, no EU listings. REACH chemical limits (SVHC) for EU-bound goods.
• California Prop 65: warning label if listed chemicals exceed safe-harbor levels (common: lead, phthalates, BPA); bounty-hunter lawsuits target Amazon sellers — test or warn.
• Batteries: lithium cells need UN38.3 test summary + MSDS to ship; Amazon requires the docs at hazmat review before FBA check-in.

Compliance doc vault (one cloud folder per SKU): business license copy · NNN + PO + spec sheet + golden sample photos · test reports & certs (CPC/FCC/UN38.3/food-contact) · insurance COI naming Amazon · commercial invoice + packing list + B/L per shipment · inspection reports · HTS code + any binding ruling. When Amazon, CBP, or an insurer asks, you answer in one hour, not three weeks.

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#11. REORDER MATH & RISK ENGINEERING

#11.1 Reorder point

ROP (units) = (avg daily sales × total lead time days) + safety stock

total lead time = production (25–35d) + QC (2d) + freight (30–40d sea)
                + FBA check-in (5–10d)  ≈ 60–85 days China sea
safety stock    = Z × σ_daily_demand × √(lead time days)
                  Z = 1.65 for 95% service level

Example: 40/day avg, σ = 12, lead time 70d
  safety stock = 1.65 × 12 × √70 ≈ 166 units
  ROP = 40 × 70 + 166 = 2,966 units
→ Falling below ~2,966 on hand+inbound means order TODAY or stock out.
  Stockouts don't just cost sales — they reset rank (AMZ 06).

#11.2 Risk playbook

• Dual-supplier strategy: at >$50K/yr per SKU, qualify a second factory (golden sample approved, one small PO run) even at +5–8% unit cost for 20–30% of volume. You're buying leverage, CNY coverage, and a live backup — not redundancy theater.
• Price-increase defense: demand cost breakdown (material index? labor? FX?), verify the claimed input on public indices, counter with volume/term trades, phase increases over two POs. A supplier who won't itemize is renegotiating, not costing.
• Supplier scorecard (quarterly): on-time %, AQL pass rate, defect PPM, comms response time, price stability — score 1–5, share it with the factory. Factories manage what buyers measure.
• Chinese New Year (next: Feb 6, 2027): factories degrade 3–4 weeks before, close ~Feb 5–12, run ~35% capacity 2–3 weeks after, normal by mid/late March — a 6–8 week hole. Calendar: confirm shutdown dates in writing by November; final POs by late November; inspections before mid-January; book freight before the pre-CNY rate spike; carry 30–40% extra buffer stock. Post-CNY first lots have the highest defect rates of the year (new workers) — inspect harder.
• Freight spike scenario: if spot doubles (2020, 2021, 2024 Red Sea, June 2026 mini-spike), re-run landed cost before shipping; slow-move goods by sea early rather than panic-air later; pre-agree index-linked rates or quarterly fixed contracts with your forwarder once you ship monthly.

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#12. FAILURE MODES — HOW OPERATORS ACTUALLY GET BURNED

1. The hidden trading company. "Factory" price carried a 15% middleman margin for two years; discovered via a Canton Fair walk. Detection: license scope, workshop video calls, unit-economics smell test. Response: don't rage-quit — negotiate direct or keep the trader at a known margin for service rendered.
2. Mold hostage. You paid $5K for tooling; when you try to move factories, "the mold belongs to us" — or a release price appears. Prevention is Section 4.2's clause + photos + engraving; cure is usually paying ransom or re-tooling. Assume any mold without a contract is already lost.
3. Quality fade (Midler's law). Order 1 is perfect, order 4 is 3% lighter with recycled resin. It's not an accident; it's margin recovery. Counter: golden sample referenced in every PO, PSI on every order (not just the first), weigh and measure in every inspection.
4. CNY amnesia. PO placed in December "ships in 30 days" — actually ships in March, you stock out for six weeks and re-launch at ruined rank. The calendar in 11.2 exists because this failure is annual and universal.
5. DDP miracle pricing. The all-in quote 25% under your math was duty evasion with your name as beneficial owner. CBP invoice arrives up to 5 years later, with penalties.
6. Policy whiplash. Operators who re-domiciled supply chains to Vietnam at 46%-IEEPA panic pricing watched SCOTUS erase the spread in one morning (Feb 20, 2026). Diversify for resilience and total landed cost — never for a single tariff number that a court, a summit (Nov 10 deadline), or a Congress (Jul 24 deadline) can move.

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#MODULE SUMMARY — THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF SOURCING

1. Spec sheet before quotes — no spec, no comparable prices, no leverage (Golzari's rule #1).
2. Verify the factory, not the badge — license scope, floor video, export B/Ls; Gold Supplier is advertising.
3. Golden sample or no production — every dispute settles against a signed reference unit.
4. NNN under Chinese law, chop and all — a US NDA is a comfort blanket; file the China trademark too.
5. Never release the 70% before a passed AQL 2.5 pre-shipment inspection — $300 defends the whole listing.
6. FOB, your forwarder, your control — miracle DDP pricing is duty fraud with your name on it.
7. Landed cost is the only cost — model FOB × ~1.6–1.9 with the full July-2026 stack (MFN + 301 + 122) before you commit, and calendar Jul 24 / Nov 10.
8. Own your barcodes and your compliance vault — GS1-direct GTINs, CPC/UN38.3/COI on file, $1M policy at $10K/month.
9. Reorder by formula, not vibes — ROP = lead-time demand + safety stock; respect the CNY hole every single year.
10. Two suppliers, one scorecard, zero surprises — dual-source your hero SKU and measure factories like they measure you.

Next module: AMZ 05 — Listing SEO & Conversion: turning landed inventory into ranked, converting ASINs.