Most US launch guides start with the brand. This one starts with the supplier, because the manufacturer you pick decides what your MoCRA file can say, what your minimum order is, and whether the goods can fly. Below: what to ask before you commit, then the launch sequence that follows from those answers.
What to ask a manufacturer before a US project
A US buyer is not only buying liquid. The supplier has to be able to produce a record that a responsible person can stand behind, and to state plainly which duties sit on their side and which stay with the brand or the importer. Ask these before the sample stage, not after:
- Which documents come with the batch? Safety data sheet, IFRA-related information, batch and inspection records. Ask who issues each and in what language.
- What is the minimum order, per fragrance and per component? Minimums apply per bottle, per cap, per decoration and per carton, and the binding one is whichever is highest for your specification.
- Who holds the responsible-person duty? The manufacturer, the importer or the brand. MoCRA facility registration and product listing recur — registrations renew every two years, listing data is updated annually — so the owner of that calendar is named at approval.
- Can the product ship on the intended route? Alcohol-based perfume is a dangerous good. If air freight is required, the carrier-approved pathway is confirmed before production release, not at booking.
- What happens when the formula changes? A revision has to trigger a documented change-control step, or the listing and the marketed product drift apart.
Working figures for a first US order
Numbers below are this company's confirmed minimums and production window. They are the arithmetic a US plan starts from; freight, duty and compliance work sit on top.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Minimum order — perfume | 1,000 units per fragrance |
| Minimum order — scented candle | 500 units per fragrance |
| Production window | Approximately 4–6 weeks after approvals, standard products |
| Incoterms | EXW, FOB or DDP, subject to route |
Sample lead time is confirmed per project rather than published.
Choose the customer and channel
Define a specific buyer, wearing occasion and primary route to market. Direct-to-consumer, wholesale and marketplaces have different margin, sampling and fulfilment demands. Price the discovery journey, payment fees, returns and hazardous-material handling alongside the finished bottle.
Map MoCRA responsibilities
Determine the responsible person whose name appears on the label and identify facilities that manufacture or process the cosmetic. Review current FDA requirements and applicable exemptions for facility registration, product listing, safety substantiation, records and serious adverse event reporting. Keep federal tasks separate from state and retailer requirements.
Freeze a US-ready product file
Connect the final formula, fragrance revision, ingredient declaration, net contents, business contact, warnings where needed, lot coding and artwork. Retain evidence supporting safety and marketing claims. The listing photograph, carton and actual bottle should not describe different versions of the product.
Plan flammable-goods fulfilment
Alcohol-based perfume may require dangerous-goods classification and carrier acceptance. Obtain a current SDS and route-specific packing advice before launch stock exists. Confirm whether the chosen warehouse or marketplace accepts the SKU and test a small inbound shipment before sending the full production run.
Launch with a reorder trigger
Set a stock threshold using manufacturing lead time, transport time, sales variability and safety stock. Track sample-to-bottle conversion and contribution by channel. A first collection should generate evidence for the reorder; adding more scents before identifying the profitable SKU usually multiplies cash exposure.
Project checklist
- Responsible person and business contact
- Facility and product obligations
- Safety substantiation file
- Final label and lot code
- Dangerous-goods route
- Channel margin model
- Complaint and adverse-event process