Hi, does anyone have experiences you can share with importing and reselling an electrical appliance from overseas?

Our company identified a manufacturer in China with a 110-volt appliance that might boost sales if sold together with our products.

The manufacturer has no US presence to handle support and liability issues, so we'd be taking on unfamiliar risks by reselling the item here in the States.

Our (smart) product attorney suggested that we start by asking our insurance agent if our company would still be insurable - and at what cost - if we resell this product. We're still awaiting the agent's response.

The attorney also said that probably 80% of the 110-volt appliances sold in the US are never certified by a testing lab such as UL.

The few Reddit threads on this subject seem designed to promote the author's paid consulting services.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

We recently connected with a U.S.-based insurance broker who specializes in small businesses operating in niche or high-risk markets. He shared some helpful insights.

Most U.S. business liability policies are written with broad exclusions and assign your business a numerical classification. This system makes it easier for agents—especially those without deep expertise—to quickly determine your premium. The key takeaway: your policy will spell out what’s not covered.

That’s why it’s important to carefully read through your policy. If it doesn’t explicitly exclude the activity you’re planning, there’s a good chance you're covered—at least for one major incident.

The broker added this practical advice: if your new product or niche market gains traction and draws the attention of your insurer, by that point, you'll likely have the revenue to upgrade to a more comprehensive (and possibly more expensive) policy.

I've been importing small table top ovens - 110v
David

It’s starting to appear that, for the next few years, we will be struggling to maintain our supply chain due to a wave of tariffs on our suppliers' raw materials, rather than expanding our product offerings.

Yea, tell me about it...
David

On the bright side, fewer U.S. consumers may be able to afford our products—so no one will be complaining about our limited supplies.

/sarcasm

The tough part is having containers on the way and they keep changing the tariffs - We have clue what to expect and no on can tell us.
If I pay a crazy high tariff and they drop them back down and my competition get the lower tariffs, I am screwed.

David

Dave, there’s some ambiguous language at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Annex-III.pdf that might suggest containers leaving overseas ports before April 9, 2025, could be exempt from the new April 2 tariffs.

But who knows - it could all turn to mayhem as U.S. Customs and Border Protection tries to enforce those drastic and abrupt changes.