Importer, distributor or direct
There are three common ways in. With an importer or distributor, a US company buys from you, handles import and customs, and sells to stores. You give up margin but gain local presence, credit and logistics. Selling direct means you (or your own US company) import the goods and sell to stores yourself, keeping the margin and the relationship but taking on customs, warehousing and collections.
A third route mixes both: a small US entity or partner in Florida holds stock and handles the stores, while production stays in Brazil. Whichever you choose, get advice from a customs broker and an accountant who work with imports before you set prices; duties and fees vary by product and they change.
Pricing in US dollars and landed cost
Your US wholesale price has to start from landed cost: the product cost in Brazil plus international freight, insurance, duties, customs broker fees and the cost of getting the goods from the port or airport to your warehouse. Add a buffer for exchange rate swings, since your costs move with the currency while your dollar price list should stay stable through a season.
From there, the usual US wholesale logic applies. Boutiques commonly expect to roughly double your wholesale price at retail, and if you work with an importer or a rep, their margin or commission has to fit as well. Our wholesale price calculator helps you test the numbers.
- Product cost in Brazil
- International freight and insurance
- Import duties and customs broker fees
- Domestic freight to your US warehouse
- A buffer for exchange rate changes
- Room for importer margin or rep commission
A bilingual operation without double work
Your production team, photographers and sometimes your sales team work in Portuguese. Your buyers read English. Keeping two versions of every line sheet means one of them is always out of date.
In LINK, each catalog can be translated and shown in multiple currencies. Your team manages one set of products, and US buyers open a catalog in English with prices in dollars. Per-customer price lists let you keep separate prices for an importer, for direct boutique accounts and for any buyers you still serve in other markets.
Trade shows and reps
For Brazilian swimwear and resort brands, Miami Swim Week is the natural first stop: SwimShow in Miami Beach and the events around it draw boutique, resort and department store buyers. Apparel and accessory brands also look at MAGIC in Las Vegas, and jewelry brands at shows such as JCK in Las Vegas or the JA New York shows. Dates and formats change, so check each organizer’s site before committing.
Independent sales reps are common in US fashion, especially for reaching boutiques outside Florida and New York. They typically work on commission on the orders they bring. In LINK, reps get their own login and permissions and order on behalf of their stores, while you see every order in one dashboard.
What US buyers expect from a wholesale brand
US boutiques are used to clear terms written upfront. They expect an opening minimum and a reorder minimum, a firm delivery window, payment terms, a shipping policy and easy reorders. Being slow to answer or vague on dates costs more than a slightly higher price.
A catalog link that shows current stock, their own prices and your minimums answers most of those questions before the buyer asks. Orders arrive complete, and you agree payment and shipping directly with the store. LINK never handles the payment and takes no commission on orders.
Getting started with LINK
Import your collection from a spreadsheet, translate the catalog into English, set dollar price lists for your US accounts, add minimums and case multiples, and send one link by email, Instagram DM, SMS or WhatsApp. LINK is a flat monthly or annual subscription with a 30-day free trial and no credit card required. It is not a marketplace, so it does not find stores for you; it makes every store you find easier to serve.