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Korean vs Chinese vs US skincare manufacturers

Where to have your skincare made, compared line by line: minimums, cost, timing, duties, paperwork and who owns the formula. Each country has real strengths, and the right choice depends on your product, volume and market.

Duties and rules checked September 28, 2026. Tariffs change, so confirm with your customs broker before you order.

Side by side

Korea figures are KoreanOEM's own prices and timelines. For Chinese and US factories we list what to ask, because minimums and prices vary from one factory to the next and we only publish figures we can source.

The biggest measurable gap right now is US dutyFor skincare under HTS 3304.99.50 sold in the US: 12.5% from Korea, 37.5% from China and none on a US-made product. For the EU and the UK, customs duty on this product heading is 0% from all three.

Factor	Korea (KoreanOEM)	China	United States
Minimum order	500 units for most skincare, 1,000 for sheet masks and sunscreen. Smaller trial runs of library formulas on request.	Varies by factory and by packaging supplier. Ask for the minimum per product and per container, in writing.	Varies by factory and fill size. Ask whether the minimum applies per formula, per scent or per size.
Unit cost	A serum from $3.70 per unit at 500 units, with a library formula, stock bottle and one-color label. About 20% lower per unit at 1,000.	Varies widely with formula, packaging and volume. Often competitive on very large runs.	Varies widely. No ocean freight and no import duty on the finished product, which narrows the gap in landed cost.
Samples and lead time	Lab samples in about 2 weeks. About 10 weeks to delivery with a library formula and stock packaging, 12 to 16 weeks with a custom formula. Reorders 4 to 6 weeks.	Depends on the factory's schedule and its packaging suppliers. Ask for a dated plan from sample to shipment.	Depends on the factory's schedule. Restocks skip the ocean leg, so reorders can reach you sooner.
Product focus	Skincare is Korea's main cosmetics export: 74.7% of the total in 2025. Our library covers serums, ampoules, creams, masks and cleansers, 30 product types in all.	A very large manufacturing base across skincare, makeup, personal care and packaging components. Suited to high-volume programs.	Useful for SPF sold in the US, an over-the-counter drug, when the factory is set up for drug production. A product made all or virtually all in the US can say Made in USA.
Compliance documents	ISO 22716 (GMP) certified, FDA registered factory. We prepare the FDA MoCRA listing, the EU CPNP file (you need an EU Responsible Person) and the UK SCPN notification.	Any factory making cosmetics for the US must be registered with FDA under MoCRA. Ask for the registration, ISO 22716 and the files your market needs.	The same MoCRA registration and listing rules. Sunscreen adds drug establishment registration and drug manufacturing rules.
Shipping to the US	Air about 5 to 10 days, sea about 4 to 6 weeks. Freight is quoted with your order.	Air or sea across the Pacific. Ask your forwarder for door-to-door times.	Domestic ground or air, with no customs entry.
Shipping to the EU	Air about 5 to 10 days, sea about 4 to 6 weeks.	Air or sea. Ask your forwarder for door-to-door times.	Air or sea across the Atlantic, then EU customs.
US duty, HTS 3304.99.50	12.5% in total, under a Section 301 action in effect since July 24, 2026.	37.5% in total: 25% under the 2018 Section 301 action on China, plus 12.5% under the 2026 action.	None on the finished product. Imported bottles or ingredients can carry their own duty.
EU and UK duty	0% customs duty on heading 3304 99 in both the EU and the UK, from all three countries. Import VAT applies.
Time zone and contact	Korea is UTC+9 with no daylight saving time. KoreanOEM has a US office in Atlanta, Georgia.	China is UTC+8 with no daylight saving time. Confirm who answers in English, and when.	Your own or a nearby time zone, and US law for your contract.
Formula ownership	Custom formulas stay yours, and you receive the full INCI list.	Put ownership, confidentiality and non-use in a contract that can be enforced where the factory is.	Put ownership in the contract, and ask whether you receive the formula or only the INCI list.

Duty rates apply to skincare classified under HTS 3304.99.50 and were checked on September 28, 2026 in the US tariff schedule (headings 9903.05.71 for Korea, 9903.05.30 and 9903.88.03 for China). Customs brokerage and other entry charges come on top, and an aluminum container can add a Section 232 duty on the value of the metal. EU rates from TARIC, UK rates from the UK Trade Tariff. Sunscreen for the US is covered in why Korean sunscreen is rare in the US.

When each option fits

No country wins every line. These are the situations where each one tends to make sense.

Korea

Small first runs of K-beauty skincare

Your first run is a few hundred units per product, not thousands.
The product is skincare: serums, ampoules, creams, masks or cleansers.
You sell in several markets and want the US, EU and UK files from one maker.
You can plan for about 10 weeks to delivery, plus shipping.

China

Large volumes and a broad supply base

Volumes are large and unit price is your main lever.
You also make categories beyond skincare and want one large supply base.
Your main markets are outside the US, where the extra US duties do not apply.
You already work with a factory there and know its quality system.

United States

US sunscreen and fast restocks

You sell SPF in the US, where sunscreen is an over-the-counter drug.
A fast-selling product needs quick domestic restocks.
Made in USA matters to your buyers and the product meets the FTC standard.
You want no import step: no customs entry and no duty on the finished product.

You can also mix: for example, an SPF made in the US for the US market, and serums and masks made in Korea. Closer looks: Korea vs China and Korea vs the US.

What a first run costs

The cash 500 serums need from order to delivery, at our starting prices. Put the quotes you get from other factories next to it and compare line by line.

Cost line	KoreanOEM, 500 serums	Ask other factories
Filled product	From $1,850, or $3.70 per unit with a library formula, stock bottle and one-color label.	The unit price at 500 and at 1,000 units, and what it includes.
Samples	Library samples free for qualified projects. A custom sample carries a small fee, credited against the first order.	The sample fee, and how many rounds are included.
When you pay	A deposit when you order, the balance before shipment. Never full prepayment.	The deposit share, and when the balance is due.
Freight to the US	Quoted with your order. Air about 5 to 10 days, sea about 4 to 6 weeks.	Who pays freight to your door, and the door-to-door time.
US duty	12.5% of the goods value.	37.5% for goods of China. None on a US-made finished product.
Documents	We prepare the MoCRA listing and write a compliant label. You receive the full INCI list.	Who prepares the listing and the label, and at what cost.

Larger runs lower the unit price: an estimated $2.96 per serum at 1,000 units and $2.41 at 3,000. Launch costs such as design, photos, trademark and website are not included. Our written quote itemizes formula, packaging, decoration, tests, documents and freight, so each line above becomes a real number. More on budgets in the cost and MOQ guide.

National statistics

Why K-beauty, by the numbers

Official data for all cosmetics exported from Korea. These are national figures, not KoreanOEM's sales. They describe demand for the category, not any one brand's results.

$11.4Bcosmetics exported from Korea in 2025, the highest on record

No. 2cosmetics exporter in the world in 2025, after France

$2,184Mexports to the US in 2025, up 15.0%, the largest destination for the first time

74.7%of 2025 exports were skincare

Korean cosmetics exports to the US, January to June

US$ billions, and the US share of all Korean cosmetics exports

2022$0.44B 10.9%

2023$0.54B 13.3%

2024$0.87B 18.1%

2025$1.02B 18.5%

2026$1.45B 20.7%

In the first half of 2026, exports to the US rose 41.5% to $1,449 million (preliminary), and all Korean cosmetics exports rose 27.3% to $7.0 billion. On the US side, Korea passed France in 2024 as the largest source of US cosmetics imports, $1.701 billion against $1.263 billion, with China fifth, according to US International Trade Commission data reported by The Korea Herald.

Sources: MFDS, 2025 cosmetics export statistics (May 22, 2026) and first half 2026, preliminary (July 2, 2026), with export values from the Korea Customs Service and KITA; The Korea Herald (April 24, 2025). More charts on our export data page.

Questions brands ask

Is it cheaper to make skincare in China or Korea?

It depends on volume, formula and packaging, so compare full written quotes. Chinese factories are often competitive on very large runs. For goods sold in the US, add duty: as of September 28, 2026, skincare under HTS 3304.99.50 pays 12.5% from Korea and 37.5% from China.

Do US-made cosmetics need FDA approval?

No. Cosmetics other than color additives do not need FDA approval before sale, wherever they are made. Under MoCRA the factory registers with FDA and the brand lists each product. Sunscreen is different, because in the US it is an over-the-counter drug.

Where should I make a sunscreen for the US market?

With a factory that can meet US drug rules: FDA-permitted UV filters, US testing, drug manufacturing standards and a Drug Facts label. US factories set up for over-the-counter drugs are one route. KoreanOEM quotes US sunscreen case by case.

Can I move my product to another manufacturer later?

Yes, if you own the formula or hold its full specification. At KoreanOEM custom formulas stay yours and you receive the full INCI list. Library formulas are shared bases, so ask what you can take with you.

How often do US tariffs on cosmetics change?

They changed several times in 2025 and 2026. The rates on this page were checked against the US tariff schedule on September 28, 2026, so confirm the current rate with your customs broker before you order.