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Korean vs US skincare manufacturers: landed cost, speed and SPF

A US factory saves you the import step. A Korean one gives you K-beauty formulas and small runs. Here is how they compare on cost, time and rules, with the math and the sources.

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. US factories vary too much for one number, so we list what to ask.

The trade-off in one lineKorea adds freight, customs clearance and a 12.5% US duty (as of September 28, 2026). A US factory adds none of these, and for SPF sold in the US it may be the simpler route.

Factor	Korea (KoreanOEM)	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 fill size. Ask whether the minimum applies per formula, per scent or per size.
Unit cost	A serum from $3.70 at 500 units, about 20% lower per unit at 1,000.	Varies widely by factory and volume. Compare landed cost, not unit price.
Samples and first run	Lab samples in about 2 weeks. About 10 weeks to delivery with a library formula, 12 to 16 weeks with a custom one.	Depends on the factory's schedule. Ask for a dated plan from sample to delivery.
Reorders	4 to 6 weeks to produce, then about 5 to 10 days by air or 4 to 6 weeks by sea.	No ocean leg and no customs entry, so restocks can reach you sooner.
Sunscreen for the US	Quoted case by case, because a US sunscreen is an over-the-counter drug.	Factories set up for OTC drugs can make it, with US testing and a Drug Facts label.
US duty, HTS 3304.99.50	12.5% in total, under a Section 301 action in effect since July 24, 2026.	None on the finished product. Imported bottles or ingredients can carry their own duty.
MoCRA	The same rules either way: FDA facility registration, product listing, safety records, serious adverse event reports and a US contact on the label.
Origin on the label	Made in Korea, which imports must show.	Made in USA only when the product is all or virtually all made in the US (FTC).
Product focus	Skincare was 74.7% of Korea's cosmetics exports in 2025. Our library covers 30 product types.	Depends on the factory. Ask which products it makes today.
Time zone and contact	UTC+9, 13 or 14 hours ahead of US Eastern time. A US office in Atlanta, Georgia.	Your own time zone, and US law for your contract.
Formula ownership	Custom formulas stay yours, and you receive the full INCI list.	Put ownership in the contract, and ask whether you receive the formula or only the INCI list.

US duty from the US tariff schedule, Revision 19 (2026), heading 9903.05.71. For context, Korea's cosmetics exports to the US reached $2,184 million in 2025, up 15.0% and the largest of any destination (MFDS, May 22, 2026). China as a third option is in Korea vs China vs the US.

Landed cost: the break-even math

A unit made in Korea reaches your warehouse with three extras: freight, US duty and customs clearance. A unit made in the US mostly carries domestic freight. Written as formulas:

Korea: factory price × 1.125 + freight per unit + clearance per unit

US: factory price + domestic freight per unit

So a US quote wins on landed cost when it is below the Korean price plus one eighth, plus the Korean freight and clearance share per unit. For example, with a hypothetical $4.00 Korean unit price, $1.00 of air freight and $0.45 of clearance per unit (assumptions, not quotes), the Korean unit lands at $5.95. A US unit that costs less than $5.95 including its domestic freight is cheaper to land.

Sea freight cuts the freight share on larger runs but adds 4 to 6 weeks. At our starting price of $3.70 for a serum, the duty is one eighth of that per unit, and the estimated unit price falls to $2.96 at 1,000 units.

Restocks and cash

Speed matters most after launch, when something sells. A simple rule for when to reorder: daily sales × lead time in days, plus safety stock.

If you sell 10 units a day and a reorder from Korea takes about 6 weeks to make plus 10 days by air, the lead time is about 52 days, so reorder while you still have about 520 units plus your safety stock. A factory with a shorter lead time lets you hold less stock and tie up less cash.

With KoreanOEM you pay a deposit when you order and the balance before shipment, never full prepayment, so plan cash for the weeks the goods are at sea or in the air. Our reorders take 4 to 6 weeks to produce.

Sunscreen is the special case

In the US, sunscreen is an over-the-counter drug. It needs FDA-permitted UV filters, US SPF and broad spectrum testing, drug manufacturing standards and a Drug Facts label, and the factory must be registered as a drug establishment.

Several UV filters common in Korean sunscreens are not permitted in US sunscreens, so a Korean SPF usually needs its own US formula. US factories set up for OTC drugs are one route; KoreanOEM quotes US sunscreen case by case. The background is in why Korean sunscreen is rare in the US.

Rules that apply either way

MoCRA covers every cosmetic sold in the US, wherever it is made. As the brand named on the label, these are yours:

FDA facility registration for the factory, renewed every two years, in Korea or in the US.
Product listing by the responsible person, the brand on the label, with updates every year.
Records that support each product's safety. FDA does not require specific tests, and animal testing is not required.
Serious adverse event reports to FDA within 15 business days, received through a US address, phone number or website on the label.
A small business exemption from registration, listing and GMP rules when average US cosmetic sales over the past three years are under $1,000,000, adjusted for inflation, unless the product is one of a few listed types, such as those that regularly touch the eye's mucous membrane. Labeling and adverse event rules still apply.

Step by step in MoCRA registration for skincare brands, and what we prepare for US brands on skincare manufacturing for the US.

Questions brands ask

Is it cheaper to make skincare in the US or in Korea?

Compare landed cost, not unit price. A Korean unit pays freight, customs clearance and, as of September 28, 2026, a 12.5% US duty on HTS 3304.99.50, while a US unit mostly pays domestic freight. Get written quotes from both and run the numbers.

Do I pay duty on skincare imported from Korea?

Yes. As of September 28, 2026, skincare under HTS 3304.99.50 from Korea pays 12.5% in total under a Section 301 action in effect since July 24, 2026. Tariffs change often, so confirm with your customs broker.

Can a Korean factory make sunscreen for the US?

It can if the product meets US drug rules: permitted UV filters, US testing, drug manufacturing standards and a Drug Facts label. KoreanOEM quotes US sunscreen case by case.

Does MoCRA apply to skincare made in Korea?

Yes. MoCRA applies to every cosmetic sold in the US, wherever it is made. The factory registers with FDA, and the brand named on the label lists each product and reports serious adverse events.

How long does a restock from Korea take?

At KoreanOEM a reorder takes 4 to 6 weeks to produce, then about 5 to 10 days by air or about 4 to 6 weeks by sea. Reorder early, based on your daily sales and that lead time.