Amazon Global vs a Florida Freight Forwarder: Which Is Cheaper?
By George · updated 2026-09-30 · worked examples checked against the Bahamas Tariff Act (schedule version 2026-2027)
Amazon orders reach The Bahamas one of two ways, and which one is cheaper depends on the item.
Amazon Global shipping
Amazon ships the order to you directly and charges an Import Fees Deposit at checkout. That's Amazon's estimate of Bahamas duty and taxes, based on its own classification of the product. It's convenient: one payment, no forwarder account and no clearance to deal with. The deposit is refundable, and Amazon returns any unused portion on items it exports to The Bahamas itself. You also pay Amazon's international shipping rate.
The downside is that you have no say in the classification, and so no say in the estimate. If Amazon puts your duty-free laptop under a dutiable heading, you pay the extra up front and wait for the refund.
Florida freight forwarder
You ship to a Florida address (most forwarders give you one), pay the forwarder's rate to Nassau or Freeport, and either the forwarder clears customs or you clear it yourself on Click2Clear. You pay the actual duty directly, and there's no deposit to reconcile afterwards.
If you shop often, a forwarder has two more advantages. You can combine several orders into one entry and pay the $10 processing minimum once instead of five times, and you can buy from retailers that don't ship internationally.
Four questions that decide it
1. What's the duty rate? On a duty-free item the Bahamas charges are small and predictable, so shipping cost decides it. On a 45% item the classification matters a great deal, and controlling it through a forwarder can save real money.
2. How heavy is it for its value? Forwarders charge by weight or volume. A three-pound $1,200 laptop costs very little to forward; a $450 sofa doesn't. High value per pound favours the forwarder, and low value per pound favours Amazon Global, where shipping is bundled in.
3. Is it one order or several? For a single item, Amazon Global is simpler and often costs about the same. If you buy regularly, the forwarder wins on consolidation: four separate $50 orders cost $108 in import charges, and the same goods in one entry cost $75.
4. Does the deposit look wrong? If the Import Fees Deposit at checkout is well above the Bahamas figure, Amazon has classified the item differently. You'll probably get the difference back, but Amazon holds your money until then. If it's well below, expect to pay the balance at the border.
Freight is taxed too
Whichever route you use, freight isn't tax-free. Customs assesses duty on the CIF value (cost, insurance and freight) and VAT on the landed cost. On a $600 TV at 35% duty, $120 of freight raises total import charges from $307.50 to $365.70, so the $120 of shipping really costs you $178.20.
A forwarder's per-pound rate therefore always understates the delivered cost, and comparing the two routes on shipping price alone gives the wrong answer. Put the freight into the calculator and compare the landed totals.
In short
- Light, high-value, duty-free (laptops, cameras, headphones): a forwarder, usually by a clear margin.
- Bulky, moderate value (furniture, large appliances): Amazon Global is competitive, because forwarder freight is the biggest cost.
- Lots of small orders: a forwarder, for consolidation alone.
- A one-off purchase and no forwarder account: Amazon Global, but check the deposit against the real figure.
The extension shows both numbers on the Amazon product page. Install it to compare item by item, or look at the difference column on a category page such as laptops.