Walmart opens hosted US fulfillment solution for Chinese goods

Walmart makes it easier to sell Chinese goods on its marketplace.

Third-party sellers of Chinese products have a new opportunity to sell directly to Walmart customers.

The discount giant has updated its Walmart Cross Border Sea Freight solution to host sea shipments from select loading ports in China Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) Facilities in the United States WFS is a paid program that offers a wide range of services including warehousing, picking, packing and shipping, as well as returns processing and customer service

In a LinkedIn post, Scott Humanek, Senior Director of the Global Inbound Program, Walmartsaid sellers on Walmart Marketplace will be able to ship to the U.S. WFS network, starting with eligible shipments from China.

“We became discoverable and widely available to all WFS sellers,” Humanek said in the post. “We are thrilled to help increase the value, convenience, speed and reliability of ocean transportation.”

Humanek also said a pilot for the new service had exceeded expectations in terms of feedback and volume.

How it works

To use the cross-border solution, which provides port-to-door import service, sellers must be WFS sellers who source or manufacture their goods in China, ship their goods from the Chinese ports of Yantian, Shanghai or Ningbo, and ship enough inventory to fill an entire shipping container.

After determining they are eligible for the service, sellers can submit their information for review on the Cross-Border Imports page in Walmart Seller Center. After an application is submitted, reviewed, and approved, sellers can begin booking inbound shipments, selecting shipments, and then shipping inventory.

A pop-up window will prompt sellers to select their port of origin. Here they can enter the number and size of their containers and have the price calculated automatically. A price calculator will provide an initial estimate of what they are likely to pay for a shipment in full container mode.