Reshoring Food & Beverage Production to the USA: A Practical Guide for Brands

For years, many food, beverage, and supplement brands sourced finished products or key ingredients from overseas co-manufacturers. That's changing. Tariffs, shipping delays, recalls, and buyers asking "where is this made?" have pushed more brands to bring production back to the United States, a move known as reshoring. If you're weighing it for your own products, this guide covers why brands are doing it, what to expect, and how to get started.

The bigger picture

Reshoring is a broad manufacturing trend. According to the Reshoring Initiative's 2025 Annual Report, U.S. companies and foreign investors announced roughly 247,000 manufacturing jobs through reshoring and foreign direct investment in 2025, and the organization projects around 309,000 for 2026 based on first-half announcements. Much of that activity is in higher-tech industries, but the same pressures (tariffs, supply chain risk, and the value of a domestic supply chain) apply directly to food and beverage.

One caution from the same research: satisfaction among companies that have reshored cooled noticeably in 2026. Reshoring works best when it's planned carefully, not rushed in reaction to headlines.

Why food and beverage brands are bringing production home

Total landed cost, not unit price. An overseas quote often looks cheaper until you add ocean freight, duties and tariffs, import compliance, cold-chain costs, inventory carrying costs, and the cost of a rejected shipment.
Freshness and shelf life. Weeks in transit eat into shelf life. Producing closer to your customers means fresher product on the shelf and less waste.
Shorter lead times and smaller runs. Domestic co-packers can often turn orders in weeks, so you hold less inventory and can test new SKUs or flavors without committing to a container-sized minimum.
Food safety and oversight. U.S. facilities operate under FDA registration and FSMA requirements, and you can audit the plant in person instead of relying on paperwork from abroad.
Fewer import headaches. No FDA import holds, port delays, or Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) obligations for the finished product.
Customer and retailer demand. "Made in USA" resonates with many shoppers, and some retailers and foodservice buyers prefer or require domestic suppliers.

The challenges to plan for

Higher labor and production costs. U.S. plants offset this with automation and efficiency, but some labor-heavy products remain hard to bring back at the same price.
Capacity and minimums. Popular co-packers can be booked months out, and minimum order quantities vary widely between facilities.
Ingredient sourcing. Some ingredients (certain spices, tropical fruits, specialty botanicals) will still come from abroad, so reshoring production doesn't always mean a fully domestic supply chain.
Reformulation and requalification. A new facility may use different equipment, so expect test batches, shelf-life validation, and possibly label or nutrition panel updates.
Finding the right partner. Domestic capacity is spread across thousands of smaller facilities, many with little online presence, which makes discovery hard.

A step-by-step plan

Compare total landed cost. Put your full overseas cost (product, freight, duties, compliance, inventory, and losses) side by side with realistic domestic quotes.
Start with the right SKUs. Good first candidates are products with short shelf lives, heavy or bulky shipping, tariff exposure, quality issues, or frequent recipe changes.
Define your requirements. Prepare your formula or spec sheet, packaging format, target volumes, and the certifications you need, such as FDA registration, GFSI-benchmarked certification (SQF or BRCGS), cGMP for supplements, USDA Organic, Non-GMO, kosher, halal, gluten-free, or allergen controls.
Find and vet manufacturers. Look for facilities with the right processes (for example, hot-fill, retort, baking, dry blending, or encapsulation), capacity, and certifications. Ask for recent audit results, references, and a plant visit.
Request quotes and compare fairly. Send the same package to several manufacturers so quotes line up, and ask about minimums, lead times, and who sources ingredients and packaging.
Run a pilot batch. Approve a test run for taste, quality, and shelf life before committing to full production.
Transition gradually. Keep your existing supply in place until the domestic source is proven, then shift volume in stages.

How USA Factory Network can help

Finding a qualified domestic manufacturer is often the hardest step. USA Factory Network connects food and beverage brands with FDA-registered American manufacturers based on your product category, processes, volumes, and certification needs. Get matched for free, or browse the manufacturer directory to explore on your own.

Sources: Reshoring Initiative 2024 and 2025 Annual Reports (reshorenow.org).