Amazon NARF FBA: Expand to Canada & Mexico Easily
Selling on Amazon’s international platforms is one of the smartest ways to grow your eCommerce business and reach a wider customer base. However, navigating different tax codes, compliance rules, and shipping requirements for other countries can make the process complicated and costly. But, you can do it by Amazon NARF.
What is Amazon NARF FBA?
Amazon’s North American Remote Fulfillment (NARF) program simplifies cross-border selling by allowing U.S. sellers to list products on Amazon Canada and Amazon Mexico without having to ship inventory directly to those countries. Instead, sellers store inventory in U.S. fulfillment centers, and Amazon takes care of fulfilling Canadian and Mexican orders from that same pool of inventory.
This gives sellers a quick and convenient way to expand into international markets without dealing with customs, storage in foreign warehouses, or added shipping complexities.
How Does Amazon NARF Work?
When you join the program, your product listings automatically become available on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.mx, using your U.S.-based FBA inventory. Here’s how it functions:
- Shared Inventory: Your U.S. stock is synced across all three marketplaces (U.S., Canada, Mexico). For example, if you have 100 units in stock, all three stores will display 100 units available.
- Global SKUs: NARF uses a single listing setup. You don’t need to create separate listings for Canada and Mexico unless you also send inventory to those marketplaces directly.
- Shipping: Prime members in Canada receive delivery in 7–12 days, while Mexican Prime customers receive orders in about 5–9 days. Customers cover any applicable import duties and taxes at checkout.
In short, NARF removes the need to manage multiple warehouses or duplicate listings while making your products more accessible across North America.
Eligibility to Enroll in Amazon NARF
To participate in NARF, sellers must meet certain requirements:
- Have a Professional Amazon Seller Account (individual accounts aren’t eligible).
- Upgrade to a North American Unified Account to manage the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican marketplaces from one dashboard.
- Use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)—only FBA-enabled products are eligible, not FBM listings.
- Comply with trade and product restrictions in each country. Products that are restricted, prohibited, or classified as dangerous goods cannot be enrolled.
Amazon NARF Program Fees
NARF fees differ slightly from standard U.S. FBA fees since international shipping is involved. While your U.S. FBA fees remain the same for sales on Amazon.com, orders fulfilled in Canada and Mexico include additional fulfillment surcharges. Referral fees are still calculated based on the store where the customer makes the purchase.
In other words, sellers pay slightly higher fulfillment costs on cross-border orders, but Amazon takes care of logistics, customs clearance, and delivery.
Pros of Amazon NARF
The NARF program comes with several benefits for sellers:
- Quick entry into new markets: Test Canadian and Mexican marketplaces without shipping inventory abroad.
- Centralized U.S. inventory: Manage a single stock pool that serves all three countries.
- No responsibility for foreign taxes: Customers cover duties and taxes at checkout, not the seller.
- Automatic listing duplication: Product information, images, reviews, and translations are carried over to new marketplaces.
- Simple setup: Enrolling and managing listings is quick, with Amazon handling fulfillment and customer service.
Cons of Amazon NARF
Despite its advantages, there are a few drawbacks to consider:
- Higher costs for buyers: Since customers pay import fees and taxes, products may be more expensive than locally fulfilled alternatives.
- Exchange rate fluctuations: Prices are displayed in local currencies, so sellers must monitor conversion rates to avoid pricing errors.
- Longer delivery times: Shipping from the U.S. takes 5–12 days, much slower than standard Prime delivery.
- Higher fulfillment fees: Remote fulfillment fees are costlier than domestic FBA due to international shipping.
How to Enroll in Amazon NARF
Getting started with NARF is straightforward:
- Go to the Remote Fulfillment with FBA page in Seller Central.
- Select the marketplaces (Canada and Mexico) where you want to expand.
- Review Amazon’s fee structure and confirm enrollment.
- Adjust SKUs if you have both FBA and FBM offers—Amazon requires unique SKUs for each type.
Once enrolled, Amazon automatically evaluates and activates eligible products. Any new FBA products you add in the U.S. will also be listed internationally.
Advertising on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.mx
Just like on Amazon.com, sellers can run Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display Ads in both Canada and Mexico. You can access these ad accounts directly from your Amazon Advertising console and replicate campaigns from the U.S. market.
Competition is generally lower in these regions, which means ad bids and CPC rates are usually cheaper. This presents sellers with a cost-effective opportunity to boost sales when entering new marketplaces.
Final Thoughts: Should You Use Amazon NARF?
Amazon’s NARF program is a practical solution for sellers looking to test Canadian and Mexican markets without committing to international logistics. While shipping times and costs may deter some customers, NARF offers a low-risk way to expand reach and grow revenue.
If you’re already seeing success with your products in the U.S., enrolling in NARF could be a smart next step toward international growth.
