Is it difficult to source from China due to tariffs?
Many sellers with private label and wholesale experience continue to source from China successfully despite the tariffs, but it does require careful planning to protect your margins. Tariffs, especially Section 301 tariffs, have added around 7.5% to 25% extra costs on many Chinese imports, depending on the product category, which means you have to factor those additional duties into your landed cost calculations when deciding if a product is profitable.
Sourcing itself isn’t difficult, platforms like Alibaba, 1688, and trade agents make it fairly easy to find suppliers, but getting the right quality, negotiating terms, and ensuring reliable shipping are the real challenges. Some sellers mitigate tariff costs by working with freight forwarders who help optimize shipping methods or by slightly modifying the product to fit into lower tariff categories. Others diversify by also sourcing from Vietnam, India, Mexico, or even U.S. manufacturers for certain items, but China still remains dominant for cost-effective and scalable production, especially for private label brands starting out.
I suggest having someone inspect product samples and goods in China. Some factories provide good quality initially but later reduce costs.
Are you planning to import products from China and sell them on Amazon?
I’ve got solid experience with both PL and wholesale, especially sourcing high-quality products from China. Let me know what you’re looking for? I can definitely help.