International expansion is the most exciting conversation in Amazon selling right now. And it’s also the most dangerous.
Every conference, every podcast, every LinkedIn post tells you the same thing: “Go global. The opportunity is massive.” And they’re not wrong. Amazon operates in over 20 marketplaces worldwide, and most US sellers are leaving money on the table by staying domestic.
But here’s what nobody talks about: international expansion done wrong doesn’t just fail. It drains resources from your core market, creates operational nightmares, and can set your brand back by months.
We’ve launched brands in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, UAE, and Australia. Some of those launches were home runs. Some were expensive lessons. Here’s what we’ve learned about timing it right.
The Readiness Checklist Nobody Gives You
Before you think about which marketplace to enter, answer these three questions honestly.
First, is your US business stable and profitable? Not growing, not “almost there,” but genuinely stable with healthy margins, consistent sales velocity, and a PPC strategy that doesn’t require daily intervention. International expansion amplifies whatever state your business is in. If your US operations are chaotic, you’re about to have chaos in multiple languages.
Second, do you have the cash flow to sustain a 6-month ramp-up with minimal returns? New marketplaces don’t generate profit immediately. You’ll need inventory investment, compliance costs, translation expenses, and advertising budget, all before your first sale. If that investment puts pressure on your US operations, you’re not ready.
Third, do you have the operational bandwidth? International selling isn’t just “turn on another marketplace.” It’s separate inventory planning, different tax obligations, unique customer service expectations, and marketplace-specific advertising strategies. If your team is already stretched thin, adding another marketplace will break something.
The Right Order of Expansion
Not all marketplaces are created equal, and the order you expand matters more than most sellers realize.
For US-based brands, the natural first step is Canada. Same language, similar consumer behavior, shared FBA infrastructure through North America Remote Fulfillment. The learning curve is minimal, and the incremental revenue can be meaningful.
The UK comes next for most brands. English-speaking market, strong Amazon adoption, and a consumer base that responds well to American brands. The complexity increases with VAT registration and slightly different listing standards, but it’s manageable.
Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Spain) is where it gets real. Multiple languages, country-specific compliance requirements, Pan-European FBA logistics, and consumer preferences that vary significantly from market to market. Germany alone requires different packaging standards, language-specific A+ Content, and a completely different PPC keyword strategy.
UAE and Australia are niche plays. High margins if your product fits, but smaller total addressable markets. These make sense for brands that have already saturated the US, Canada, and UK.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions
Translation isn’t just about converting words from English to German. It’s about understanding how German shoppers search, what benefit language resonates, and how product descriptions are structured in that market. Machine translation will get you indexed. Human localization will get you sales.
VAT registration and ongoing compliance is a recurring cost, not a one-time expense. Each European country has its own VAT rate, filing frequency, and reporting requirements. Getting this wrong doesn’t just cost money. It can get your account suspended.
Inventory planning across multiple marketplaces is exponentially more complex than single-market planning. Lead times are longer, minimum order quantities may need to increase, and you’re now forecasting demand across markets with different seasonality patterns.
Customer returns and service expectations vary by market. German consumers, for example, have some of the highest return rates in eCommerce. If your margins don’t account for a 15-20% return rate in Germany, your profitability projections are fiction.
The Signal That You’re Ready
The clearest signal that you’re ready for international expansion isn’t revenue or product count. It’s operational maturity.
When your US business runs without you micromanaging every decision. When your PPC is managed by a system, not by gut feeling. When your inventory planning is proactive, not reactive. When your team has capacity, not just ambition. That’s when you’re ready.
International expansion should feel like extending a proven system into new territory, not like starting over in a foreign language.
The Bottom Line
The opportunity in international Amazon marketplaces is real and growing. But timing matters more than ambition. The brands that succeed internationally are the ones that expand from a position of strength, not desperation for growth.
Don’t expand because everyone else is. Expand because your business is ready, your operations can handle it, and you’ve done the math on what it actually costs.
The right time to go international isn’t when you want more revenue. It’s when you can afford to invest in it properly.
Thinking about international expansion? We’ve launched brands in 7 international marketplaces. We know what works, what doesn’t, and what most agencies won’t tell you about the real costs involved. Let’s have an honest conversation.
