To import or not to import – that is the question. While tariffs may have made product sourcing trickier, imported products can still make a smart sell for certain situations and client needs.
You might want to consider sourcing products from overseas when …
When clients come seeking one-of-a-kind products designed with custom shapes, features and packaging, standard stock products manufactured domestically may not provide the customization options they need. However, there are many manufacturers overseas that specialize in custom products across every product category you can think of, making it possible to bring your client’s unique promo ideas to life.
While many suppliers are making a push for domestic manufacturing, it takes time to build the infrastructure and train the staff needed to make this operational. Depending on how niche your client’s project request is, it’s possible there isn’t a domestic manufacturing partner available who can take on your order – or, you might take on risk by partnering with a newly launched location that is still finding their footing. In these cases, it may be a safer bet to partner with an overseas manufacturer with years of experience already under their belt for the exact product types your client is looking for.
While tariffs do increase the overall price of products due to the additional fees added when importing, imported products are not necessarily always more expensive than domestic-made options. Depending on the product and the location of the manufacturer, it is still possible that imported products can be cheaper than those not made overseas. Be sure to do your research before your rule out imported goods, or you could be missing out on higher profit margins.
