US suppliers that don't charge double Chinese prices
Domestic manufacturers often charge twice as much as overseas suppliers, making it difficult to keep profit margins close to previous levels. This price gap prevents small business owners from moving away from generic items and adding custom branding to their packaging.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1comparing total landed cost instead of unit priceDid this help you?
- 2sourcing through multi-country wholesale partners or international suppliersDid this help you?
- 3Using generic packagingDid this help you?
- 4Buying blank containers and stamping them manuallyDid this help you?
- 5Applying printed labels onto generic containersDid this help you?
- 6Searching local industrial areas and nearby cities for tailorsDid this help you?
- 7Asking online communities and forums for manufacturer recommendationsDid this help you?
- 8Attempting to start and source everything independently without prior industry experienceDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I wanna move away from the generic stuff and actually have some branding on the to-go stuff.”source ↗
“Naturally, I wanna keep my margins as close as I have them ... but I don't mind paying a few more cents per cup/box/bag to get some branding out there.”source ↗
“Anybody "gotta guy" with a warehouse (even if it's overseas) that's reputable?”source ↗
“is there any us suppliers out there that don’t charge like 2x what the average Chinese supplier is charging”source ↗
“I’m looking for small manufacturers/tailors/workshops in Noida or nearby Delhi NCR who can make pet clothes at a very affordable price, especially for small quantities/MOQs.”source ↗
“I’m doing this completely on my own and I’m only 21, so I’m still learning everything from scratch.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 9Where do I find wholesale suppliers for a small business?