Chinese brands are dominating U.S. brands on Amazon.
Currently, there are over 24,000 Chinese sellers and 15,000 U.S. sellers generating over $1 million annually on Amazon. That’s a big gap.
But why are Chinese brands outperforming U.S. brands? And more importantly — can U.S. sellers still compete?
Let’s break it down.
Key Differences Between Chinese and U.S. Amazon Brands
An analysis of data from SmartScout reveals three major differences in how Chinese and U.S. brands operate on Amazon.

1. Chinese Sellers Spend Less on Advertising
Chinese brands rely less on paid ads and more on:
✔️ Low-cost manufacturing
✔️ Competitive pricing
✔️ High-volume product launches
This lets them undercut competitors and drive sales organically without massive ad budgets.
2. Chinese Sellers Price Products Lower
Many Chinese sellers play the low-price, high-volume game.
🚀 Smaller profit margins, but more sales
🚀 Direct access to factories = lower production costs
🚀 Aggressive pricing that forces competitors to match
3. Chinese Sellers Launch More Products
Instead of relying on a few best-sellers, Chinese brands:
🔥 Constantly launch new products
🔥 Test the market quickly
🔥 Expand across multiple categories
They operate at scale, flooding Amazon with new listings and dominating search results.
Can U.S. Sellers Still Compete? Absolutely.
If you’re a non-Chinese Amazon seller, this data might seem discouraging. But here’s the good news:
💡 U.S. brands with over $1M in revenue tend to be larger.
💡 Certain categories have almost no Chinese sellers. (Use SmartScout’s Subcategories tool to find them!)
💡 Chinese sellers often hurt each other by driving prices down in ultra-competitive niches.
In short, U.S. brands have staying power, and there are still plenty of winning strategies to compete.
Will This Trend Change?
It’s hard to see a future where this ratio flips — unless external factors shift the landscape.
📉 Upcoming tariffs could impact Chinese sellers
📉 Amazon policy changes could create new restrictions
📉 Consumer preference for premium brands could increase
The private label seller’s dream isn’t dead, but it is evolving.
Want to Beat the Competition?
The best way to win on Amazon is to know your market better than anyone else.
With SmartScout, you can:
✔️ Track every competitor’s brand, category, and sales performance
✔️ Find untapped subcategories with less competition
✔️ Analyze market trends to position your business for growth