How to find new suppliers for your Amazon business?

For years, sourcing from China has been the default strategy for Amazon sellers and in many ways, it still makes sense. China offers access to advanced manufacturing at scale, deep supplier networks and competitive pricing.

But putting all your sourcing eggs into one basket can be a risky move, especially with tariffs and duties significantly impacting Chinese imports in the last few years.

While some tariffs have remained steady, others have spiked with little to no notice. Such unpredictability can shrink margins quickly and deeply impact businesses that have long lead times or bulk inventory models.

Apart from tariffs, sellers may also face other challenges such as:

• Delays due to factory shutdowns or port congestion
• Increased freight costs during peak seasons or geopolitical tensions
• Rising labor costs
• Copycat competition which occurs when suppliers launch near-identical products under different brands

Now, diversifying doesn’t mean dropping China altogether. If your current supplier is in China, that’s not necessarily a problem. But if your only supplier is in China, then that can be a problem.

Your sourcing strategy should be flexible enough to adapt, resilient enough to handle disruption and smart enough to protect your margins long-term.