Latest news on Amazon and their ventures within the transportation industry indicates the filing of paperwork to run ocean liners. Amazon's registration with the Federal Maritime Commission now allows Amazon to operate ocean liners from China into the US and other countries. Why is this news?

Two main reasons:

1. Amazon sellers of all sizes typically purchase or manufacture product overseas, ship the product to their own warehouses and then send off to Amazon for sale via Amazon Prime or Fulfill by Amazon. There are some sellers who will ship directly from their manufacturing facility but those cases are rare. With Amazon running ships from China, sellers could theoretically ship their product from overseas via Amazon and thus skip the step of their warehouse and have the product up and selling on the site much faster.

2. Amazon has a massive hardware business with Fires and Echos. Amazon is also building a private label business named Amazon Basics that includes consumables, apparel and other sought after low cost items. A large majority of those items are likely made in China and could use a lower cost of shipping.

Trailers and planes are for moving products from seller warehouses and between Amazon warehouses. Ocean liners are for moving product from factories/manufacturers to Amazon warehouses. The glut of shipping capacity and ocean liners is an opportunity Amazon is pouncing on as they build the most extensive and aspiration transportation network in the world.