You can buy from the USA without a US company by working with a US-based purchasing partner that buys on your behalf, receives your goods at its US warehouse, handles the resale certificate and payment mechanics, and exports the shipment to your country. That is the direct answer for most overseas wholesalers and DTC brands, and it holds whether you think of it as buying without a US company or without a US entity of your own. The longer answer, which is where every real decision sits, is what US suppliers actually check, which of the three paths fits your situation, and how to handle payment, sales tax, Importer of Record, and destination-country compliance without stalling your first order. This guide covers all of it.
What US Suppliers Actually Check (and What They Do Not)
Most articles say US suppliers need an LLC, an EIN, and a US bank account. In practice, different supplier tiers check different things. Knowing which tier you are dealing with saves weeks of wasted outreach.
| Supplier tier | What they actually check | Can a foreign buyer work with them directly? |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Business, Faire, wholesale marketplaces | US billing address, US-issued payment, sometimes a resale certificate | Rarely. Terms usually require a US business account. |
| Direct brand wholesale (mid-market) | Business license (any country), tax status, minimum order value | Sometimes. Depends on export policy and MAP rules. |
| Manufacturers and factories | PO size, payment terms, freight terms (FOB or Ex Works) | Usually yes for volume. Payment terms are the friction. |
| Authorized distributors | Territory agreement, exclusivity, resale certificate | Usually no. Distributors defend their territory. |
| Amazon third-party sellers, arbitrage | US shipping address, working card | Yes in practice, but this is not real wholesale. |
The pattern: the further upstream you go (manufacturer, direct brand), the less the US-entity check matters and the more your order size and payment terms matter. The further downstream you go (marketplaces, distributors), the more a US operational presence starts to matter.
The Three Doors You Have (And When Each One Is Right)
There are three realistic ways to source from the US without a US company, and the right one depends on your profile.
Door 1: Form your own US LLC
Right if you plan to run a US operating company, hire in the US, hold US inventory long-term across channels (Amazon FBA, wholesale, DTC), and file US taxes. Wrong if you just want to import goods to your country. Expect six to ten weeks on formation, EIN, ITIN, banking, and bookkeeping, plus annual maintenance whether you trade or not.
Door 2: Assisted purchasing partner
Right if you want to import products from the US, source across multiple suppliers, consolidate before export, and skip US tax filings. The partner buys under its US entity, receives at its US warehouse, prepares export paperwork, and ships to you, and you stay the beneficial owner. Wrong if your model requires holding US inventory long-term for US customers. This is the core of our international fulfillment services.
Door 3: Freight forwarder or suite address
Right if you buy occasionally from suppliers who already accept international customers and only need a US ship-to address for domestic-only sellers. Wrong if suppliers demand a resale certificate, refuse foreign cards, or you need consolidation across suppliers. Suite addresses fail most compliance checks at wholesale tier.
Fast decision framework
- US operating business with long-term US inventory? Door 1 (LLC).
- Cross-border importer sourcing from US suppliers? Door 2 (assisted purchasing).
- One-off buyer with international-friendly suppliers and small parcels? Door 3 (forwarder).
Payment: The Obstacle Nobody Warns You About
This is where most overseas buyers actually get stuck, not at the LLC question. US suppliers reject foreign payment methods for reasons that have nothing to do with your business being legitimate.
- Foreign-issued credit cards trigger fraud filters on most US B2B checkouts, even a business card in good standing.
- Wise, Payoneer, and Revolut cards are often flagged as prepaid by wholesale processors, causing declines.
- International wires clear, but suppliers hold shipments two to five business days waiting to settle, and compliance sometimes asks for source-of-funds on the first transaction.
- ACH from a US bank is the smoothest option, and it is the one you cannot access without a US bank account.
A purchasing partner solves this in one step: the partner pays via US-domestic ACH, a US business card, or a domestic wire, so the supplier sees a normal US buyer and ships the same day. Your money moves once, from you to the partner, on a schedule you agree in advance.
The Resale Certificate Trap (and the Tax Angle)
US suppliers ask for a resale certificate so they do not have to charge you sales tax. Without one, most states force the supplier to add 6% to 9% to your invoice, and that money is not recoverable for a foreign buyer with no US sales-tax nexus and no state filing. This is where the location of the warehouse you ship to changes the math. Our warehouse in Delaware sits in a state with 0% sales tax, so purchases delivered there carry no state sales tax in the first place and no resale-certificate paperwork is required to avoid it. For any inbound order that stays domestic before export, that removes a clean 6% to 9% from the landed cost compared with most other states. When a supplier ships from a state that does charge sales tax, a partner with an active resale certificate there can present it and get the tax removed at invoice, a layer a freight forwarder cannot handle because a forwarder is not a reseller.
Assisted Purchasing, Step by Step
This is the workflow we run for international buyers, the same sequence whether the order is 20 units of one SKU or ten pallets across five suppliers.
- You send the list. Product names, SKUs, target quantities, supplier links or names if you have them, and destination country. If you do not have suppliers, we source.
- We verify and quote landed cost. We confirm stock, negotiate where we can, and send one landed-cost quote covering product, prep, storage, export documentation, and freight to your city or port.
- You approve and we place the orders. We pay each supplier using our US entity, US bank, and resale certificate. You fund upfront or on trade-credit terms if you qualify.
- Goods arrive and are inspected. We receive, inspect, and count each shipment, and open any shortage, wrong-item, or damage claim with the US supplier directly, which resolves faster because the supplier recognizes a US buyer.
- Consolidation and prep. Multiple supplier shipments consolidate into one export lot, with destination-specific prep: language stickers, country-of-origin marking, retail-ready labeling, or kitting.
- Export documentation. Commercial invoice, packing list, HS codes verified, certificate of origin where required, and Electronic Export Information filed through AES when the shipment value crosses the $2,500 per-HS-code threshold.
- Freight and delivery. DDP if you want us to handle everything to your door, DDU if you have a local broker you prefer. You track the shipment through delivery.
Trade Credit: When It Is Real Working Capital, When It Is Not
Qualified international buyers can access up to $500,000 in trade credit through our assisted purchasing program. Trade credit is powerful when cash flow is the bottleneck, and it is not always the right answer.
| Scenario | Trade credit helps | Pay direct is better |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk seasonal buying | Yes, spreads cost across sell-through | Only if cash is already sitting idle |
| Small test orders under $5,000 | Not usually, approval overhead outweighs it | Yes, faster and simpler |
| New supplier relationships | Yes, we take supplier credit risk | Only if the supplier is well known to you |
| Rapid restock in a hot window | Yes, no waiting on an international wire | Only with US-domestic cash on hand |
| Multi-supplier consolidation | Yes, one line covers many suppliers | Painful with multiple international wires |
Destination-Country Reality: What Happens on Your End
Getting goods out of the US is only half the job. Every destination has its own Importer of Record rules, pre-shipment inspection regimes, and product-registration requirements that will hold your shipment if you have not planned for them. A good US partner does not pretend to be your in-country customs broker; what we do is prepare the US-side paperwork so cleanly that your destination broker has everything on day one: HS codes verified against your country schedule, a commercial invoice matching the packing list to the unit, and origin documentation ready before the container ships. If West Africa is your market, our West Africa fulfillment corridor and the guide on shipping from the USA to West Africa go deeper.
| Corridor | Key requirement on your side | Plan for |
|---|---|---|
| West Africa (Nigeria) | SONCAP for regulated products, Form M before shipment | Pre-shipment inspection; build 2 to 3 weeks into the first order |
| West Africa (Ghana) | CTN (Cargo Tracking Note), sometimes CoC | Local clearing agent; CTN issued before vessel departure |
| South America (Brazil) | RADAR license for importer, ANVISA for regulated goods | Confirmed RADAR before shipping or goods hold at port |
| UK | EORI starting GB, UK VAT registration if selling B2C | HMRC customs entry; IOSS does not apply post-Brexit |
| EU | EORI, IOSS for B2C consignments under 150 euros | EU responsible person for cosmetics, toys, electronics |
| Middle East (Saudi Arabia) | SASO Product Certificate of Conformity | SABER platform; plan 5 to 10 days per SKU |
What Changed in 2025 and 2026 (And Why It Matters for You)
Two policy shifts have reshaped how overseas buyers should approach US sourcing in 2026.
Section 321 de minimis suspended, August 29, 2025
The US suspended the $800 de minimis exemption under Section 321. Before that date, parcels under $800 could enter the US duty-free, which some overseas sellers used to fulfill direct-to-consumer orders back into the US. That workaround is closed: you now need a formal customs entry and a duty payment on every parcel. Refer to current US Customs and Border Protection guidance for entry procedures. For most overseas buyers, this makes US warehousing and outbound shipping from the US more attractive, not less.
Amazon eliminated FBA prep services, January 1, 2026
Amazon shut down its own FBA prep and labeling program, so sellers must now use an external prep center for FNSKU labeling, poly bagging, bundling, and oversize or fragile handling. Amazon also ended commingled inventory on March 31, 2026. If your import plan includes Amazon FBA resale in the US or Amazon international marketplaces, prep is now something you solve on the US side before goods ever ship to Amazon.
Cost Comparison: DIY US LLC vs Assisted Purchasing
Run this before you form a US entity purely to import from the USA.
| Cost item | Set up your own US LLC | Use assisted purchasing |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation | $90 to $300 one-time | Included |
| Registered agent, annual | $100 to $300 | Included |
| US business bank account | Often needs in-person visit or US resident director | Included |
| EIN and ITIN | Weeks of IRS paperwork | Not needed for you |
| US mailing address | $15 to $50 per month | Included as the warehouse address |
| Bookkeeping and filings | $500 to $2,000 per year | Not needed for you |
| State sales-tax registration | Varies by state, ongoing | Not needed for you |
| Time to first purchase | 4 to 10 weeks | Same week you send the list |
| Best fit | A US-based operating company | You want to import goods, not run a US business |
What You Need Before You Start
If you want to move fast on your first order, have this ready:
- Business registration document from your home country
- A product list with SKUs, target quantities, and supplier names or links where you have them
- Destination country, delivery city or port, and preferred shipping term (DDP or DDU)
- Any destination-side registrations you already hold (SONCAP, RADAR, EORI, SASO, IOSS)
- Preferred payment approach: pay upfront, or apply for trade credit
- Any product-specific compliance you know about (labeling language, ingredient bans, restricted categories)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Most overseas buyers import from US suppliers without forming a US company or getting an EIN by using a US-based purchasing partner. The partner buys under its own US entity, receives goods at its US warehouse, handles the resale certificate and payment, and exports to your country. You stay the beneficial owner of the goods throughout.
Some will, most wholesale suppliers will not. Marketplaces such as Amazon Business and authorized distributors usually require a US business account and a US-issued payment method. Manufacturers and direct brands are more flexible on entity but strict on order size and payment terms, which is where foreign cards and wires create friction.
Qualified international buyers can access up to $500,000 in trade credit through our assisted purchasing program. Approval looks at order history, order size, and the supplier relationship rather than a US credit score. It is most useful for bulk seasonal buying, rapid restock, and multi-supplier consolidation, and least useful for small one-off test orders.
You or your local customs broker act as the Importer of Record in your destination country. A US purchasing partner is not your in-country broker. What the partner does is prepare clean US-side export documents, verified HS codes, a matching commercial invoice, and origin paperwork, so your broker can clear the shipment without delays on day one.
The partner inspects and counts every shipment on arrival and opens the claim directly with the US supplier. Because the supplier is dealing with a US buyer it already recognizes, claims resolve faster than a foreign buyer chasing a refund from abroad. This inspection happens before consolidation and export, so problems are caught before goods leave the US.
If your model relied on shipping parcels under $800 into the US duty-free, yes. The US suspended the Section 321 de minimis exemption on August 29, 2025, so those parcels now need a formal customs entry and duty payment. For most overseas buyers this makes US warehousing and consolidated outbound shipping more attractive, not less. Check current CBP guidance for entry procedures.
No fixed minimum. The same assisted purchasing workflow runs whether the order is 20 units of one SKU or ten pallets across five suppliers. Very small orders under about $5,000 are usually better paid direct than financed, because the approval overhead outweighs the benefit at that size.
The Bottom Line
For most overseas buyers, the smart way to buy from the USA without a US company is not to form an LLC at all. It is to use a US-based purchasing partner that handles the supplier check, the payment mechanics, the resale certificate, the consolidation, and the export paperwork in one workflow. Form the US entity only if you plan to run a real US operating business. Everything else is friction disguised as a solution.
For related reading, see international fulfillment services, international shipping from USA, West Africa fulfillment, and what is international fulfillment.