To reshore machining from China, start by comparing total landed cost rather than unit price, then assemble a complete technical data package and qualify a US machine shop with a first article before shifting volume. A planned overlap with safety stock protects supply while the new source is proven.
Reshoring machining from China has moved from discussion to action for many OEMs, driven by tariffs, freight variability, long lead times, and quality escapes that are expensive to correct across an ocean. This guide gives purchasing and engineering teams a practical sequence for moving machined parts to a US supplier.
Step 1: Compare total landed cost
An overseas unit price is only part of the cost. A fair comparison includes every cost that reaches your dock and your balance sheet.
| Cost element | Overseas sourcing | US machine shop |
|---|---|---|
| Unit price | Often lower | Often higher |
| Freight | Ocean or air, variable | Parcel or LTL, predictable |
| Duties and tariffs | Can be significant and subject to change | None |
| Inventory and safety stock | Weeks or months of stock in transit and on hand | Smaller buffers with shorter lead time |
| Quality escapes | Costly to sort, rework, or replace | Resolved in days |
| Engineering changes | Slow to implement, stock may be obsolete | Faster cut-in |
| Travel and oversight | International visits, third-party inspection | Domestic visit, direct contact |
For many machined parts, particularly low-to-medium volume, high-mix, or tight-tolerance parts, the landed-cost gap is smaller than the unit price gap suggests.
Step 2: Choose the right parts to reshore first
- Parts with frequent quality issues or engineering changes
- Parts with high freight or tariff exposure relative to value
- Critical parts where a supply disruption would stop your line
- Parts for federal or defense programs with domestic sourcing requirements
- Parts with moderate volumes that do not need dedicated high-volume tooling
Step 3: Build the technical data package
Parts made overseas for years sometimes rely on undocumented knowledge. Before sending an RFQ, confirm you have current drawings at the correct revision, 3D models, material specifications, finish specifications, and inspection requirements. If the overseas supplier made undocumented changes, measure several production parts against the drawing and resolve differences before quoting.
Step 4: Qualify the US shop
Review the shop's equipment against your part families, confirm inspection capability for your tightest tolerances, and request a first article. First article inspection in AS9102 format gives a documented baseline. Wexmar publishes its equipment on our capabilities page and inspection practices on our inspection and quality page.
Step 5: Plan the transition
Keep the overseas source active while the domestic supplier completes first article and a pilot lot. Build a safety stock that covers the transition. Then shift volume in stages, starting with the parts identified in Step 2.
How Wexmar supports reshoring
Wexmar is a direct CNC machine shop in Canastota, New York, with ten CNC lathes with live tooling and Y-axis, six horizontal machining centers with pallet changers for 3- and 4-axis milling, and four Maier Swiss machines with bar feeders for parts up to 32 mm. Second-shift capacity and lights-out Swiss running support production volumes, and there is no minimum order for pilot lots. We machine steels, stainless, nickel alloys, aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, titanium, and engineered plastics.
Reshored parts are inspected on Brown and Sharpe CMMs under an ISO 9001:2015-aligned quality system, with material certs and heat-lot traceability available. Parts are made in the USA and Buy American compliant. Finishes such as plating, anodizing, and heat treat are performed through qualified outside processors and managed by us. For a side-by-side look at sourcing options, see our comparison pages.
Common reshoring mistakes
The most frequent problems are comparing unit price alone, sending an outdated drawing that does not match the parts in use, and moving all volume before the new supplier has shipped a pilot lot. Another is skipping a conversation about tolerances. A domestic shop may point out tolerances that were never actually held overseas, which is useful information to resolve with engineering before production starts.
Reshoring checklist
- Total landed cost model completed for each candidate part
- Current drawings, models, and specs verified against production parts
- Domestic supplier equipment and inspection reviewed
- First article and pilot lot scheduled
- Safety stock set for the transition period
- Volume shift plan agreed with engineering and planning
Getting a quote
To evaluate reshoring a part family, upload a drawing for an instant estimate or email a multi-part package to ron@backwell.com. A Wexmar estimator confirms every price before it is firm. Call (315) 400-2654 to discuss annual volumes.