How Much USD Budget Do You Need to Import Rooftop Tents From China?

China is the world’s largest and most reliable manufacturing hub for tents and outdoor camping gear. Many importers around the world buy directly from Chinese factories and resell in their local markets for strong profits.

However, some people still choose to buy from local distributors even when prices are much higher. They may think their business is too small to import, worry that finding a trustworthy supplier in China is difficult, or feel that the importing process is complicated.

In fact, no matter your business size — whether you’re just starting out, testing the market, or already running a brand — you can import rooftop tents from China easily and directly. Even individuals can buy a few tents for personal use or local resale.

Of course, the budget depend on how many rooftop tents you plan to import. In this guide, we’ll break down the estimated costs for 6 common import levels.You can jump to the section that matches your business needs — or read through all of them to compare budgets and understand how importing rooftop tents from China works at each level.

Table of Contents

1. Smallest budget ($880) For startup of China importing rooftop tents business for a sample (1 pcs)
2. $3,000+ Importing Budget for importing rooftop tents to Test the Market (5–10 pcs)
3. $10,000+ Importing Budget for Rooftop Tents Rental or Small Wholesale Business (20+ pcs)
4. $20,000+ Importing Budget for Rooftop Tents Traditional Wholesale or Retail Business (40–50 pcs)
5. $10,000-$100,000+ Importing Budget for Rooftop Tents OEM & Product Development
6. If you just import from China for personal use

1. Smallest Budget ($880): For Startup of China Importing Rooftop Tents Business for a Sample (1 pcs)

If you just want to test a rooftop tent or check the quality of a supplier, starting with one tent is the simplest and lowest-risk option.

Rooftop tent wholesale prices vary greatly depending on the model: soft shell tents typically wholesale price range from $400–$1,000, while hard shell tents wholesale price range from $600–$1,200. (These are reference prices only — actual costs depend on the model, size, and materials, which may change over time.)

For this guide, we’ll use a soft shell tent priced at $450 as an example.

Cost Item	Estimated Cost (USD)	Notes
Tent price	$450	Premium Soft shell rooftop tent from a Chinese factory
Export pallets	$40	Protect your tent and ensure it arrives to you intact during transport
Sea Shipping ( LCL)	$150–$250	LCL shipping from China to Southeast Asia and East Asia usually takes 3–7 days, while shipping to Europe, North America, and other regions takes 20–35 days.
Customs duty & tax	$60–$120	Depends on your country’s import rules
Brokerage & Handling Fees	$100–$150	Customs broker, port handling to clear customs smoothly.
Local delivery	$80–$150	From port or courier to your door
Total Estimated Budget	≈ $880	Import one rooftop tent delivered to your location

Note: The above prices are for reference only. Actual costs depend on the rooftop tent model, materials, and current market rates. Always confirm with your tent supplier for accurate quotes. Shipping costs, shipping agents, and customs clearance fees may also vary depending on your location and service providers.

If you import other products from China at the same time, you can ship the tent together with them. While the tent price stays the same, other costs — such as shipping, customs, and handling fees — can be spread across multiple items, lowering the average cost per tent by about 20–40%.

2. $3,000+ Importing Budget for Importing Rooftop Tents to Test the Market (5–10 pcs)

If you are a small e-commerce seller or retailer, importing 5–10 rooftop tents is a smart way to test your market without committing to a full container.

Let’s take soft shell rooftop tents at $450 each as an example.

Cost Item	Estimated Cost (USD)	Notes
Tent price (5–10 pcs)	$2,250–$4,500	Soft shell rooftop tents from a Chinese factory
Export pallets	$40–$120	Protects the tents during transport
Sea Shipping (LCL)	$300–$700	3–7 days to Southeast & East Asia; 20–35 days to Europe/North America
Customs duty & tax	$270–$540	Depends on your country’s import rules
Brokerage & Handling Fees	$200–$300	Customs broker and port handling
Local delivery	$150–$300	From port or courier to your door
Total Estimated Budget	≈ $3,210–$6,460	For 5–10 tents delivered to your location

Note: The above prices are for reference only. Actual costs depend on the rooftop tent model, materials, and current market rates. Always confirm with your tent supplier for accurate quotes. Shipping costs, shipping agents, and customs clearance fees may also vary depending on your location and service providers.

3. $10,000+ Importing Budget for Rooftop Tents Rental or Small Wholesale Business (20+ pcs)

If you run a rental business or small wholesale store, importing 20+ rooftop tents allows you to expand inventory and meet growing customer demand without committing to a full container.

Let’s take soft shell rooftop tents at $450 each as an example.

Cost Item	Estimated Cost (USD)	Notes
Tent price (20 pcs)	$9,000	Soft shell rooftop tents from a Chinese factory
Export pallets (4 tents/pallet)	$200–$400	5–6 pallets needed, protects the tents during transport
Sea Shipping (LCL / Partial Container)	$500–$1500	3–7 days to Southeast & East Asia; 20–35 days to Europe/North America
Customs duty & tax	$540–$1,080	Depends on your country’s import rules
Brokerage & Handling Fees	$300–$500	Customs broker and port handling
Local delivery	$200–$400	From port or courier to your door
Total Estimated Budget	≈ $10,740–$12,980	For 20 tents delivered to your location

Note: The above prices are for reference only. Actual costs depend on the rooftop tent model, materials, and current market rates. Always confirm with your tent supplier for accurate quotes. Shipping costs, shipping agents, and customs clearance fees may also vary depending on your location and service providers.

4. $20,000+ Importing Budget for Rooftop Tents Traditional Wholesale or Retail Business (40–50 pcs)

For wholesale or retail businesses, importing 40–50 rooftop tents allows you to stock larger quantities, meet high customer demand, and take advantage of lower per-unit costs by shipping in bulk.

Let’s take soft shell rooftop tents at $450 each as an example.

Cost Item	Estimated Cost (USD)	Notes
Tent price (40–50 pcs)	$18,000–$22,500	Soft shell rooftop tents from a Chinese factory
Export pallets (4 tents/pallet)	$400–$650	10–13 pallets needed, protects the tents during transport
Sea Shipping (Partial or Full Container)	$1,500–$3,000	20–35 days to Europe/North America; 3–7 days to Southeast & East Asia
Customs duty & tax	$2,160–$2,700	Depends on your country’s import rules
Brokerage & Handling Fees	$800–$1,200	Customs broker and port handling
Local delivery	$400–$600	From port or courier to your door
Total Estimated Budget	≈ $23,060–$30,650	For 40–50 tents delivered to your location

Note: The above prices are for reference only. Actual costs depend on the rooftop tent model, materials, and current market rates. Always confirm with your tent supplier for accurate quotes. Shipping costs, shipping agents, and customs clearance fees may also vary depending on your location and service providers.

5. $10,000-$100,000+ Importing Budget for Rooftop Tents OEM & Product Development

Product development for rooftop tents can include different levels of OEM customization depending on your needs and budget:

1.Basic OEM customization

At this level, you can add your logo printing on the tent body or fly. It’s a simple and cost-effective way to build your brand with Budget at $10,000.

2.Intermediate customization
This includes more detailed adjustments such as rooftop tent color, window layout, and fabric cutting/design.
Rooftop ent color customization requires a fabric MOQ and can follow Pantone color codes.
We also offer pre-developed design options such as large windows, sky windows, and extended awnings, making this level of customization easy to achieve.

3.Advanced customization
When it comes to hard shell parts like ABS or aluminum covers, the process becomes much more complex. Manufacturers need to create new molds for these components, which can be very expensive. For example, developing a new mold for an ABS rooftop tent shell typically costs between $12,000 and $80,000, depending on factors like part complexity, steel costs, and machining time.

Therefore, if your budget is under $100,000, it’s usually advisable to start with standard rooftop tents with simple OEM customizations, which allow you to build your brand efficiently before investing in full OEM development.

If you don’t want to develop any new rooftop tent models, and just want to use existing tents to establish your brand, it’s much easier. As mentioned earlier, you only need to prepare around $10,000. Manufacturers can then help you print your logo on the tents and make simple customizations like color or window layout.

6. If you just import from China for personal use

Even if you just want a rooftop tent for yourself, importing from China can save you a lot compared to local prices.

If you’ve imported from China before:
You can ask the rooftop tent supplier for FOB or EXW prices and ship the tent to a local agent in China, or combine it with another shipment to save on costs.

If you’re person without company:
Platforms like AliExpress make it easy to buy a tent directly. You can get it delivered to your home at a much lower price than buying locally. Some suppliers could delivery in 7 dayas as shipping from US, while almost shipping time is 15-30 days.

💡 Tip: Even for personal use, importing directly from China can save you 30–50% compared to buying locally. Always check the total cost — including shipping and customs — to make sure your imported tent is actually cheaper than local options.

Now It’s Your Turn

Thank you for reading my article! Next, I will create the best authoritative guide on importing roof top tents from China, where you will learn everything about the import process step by step.

If you have any questions, want to discuss importing rooftop tents, or need personalized support, pls feel free to contact the ENJOIN team.

ENJOIN is one of the leading rooftop tent manufacturers in China, we'r here to guide you from importing rooftop tents to delivery and make your import process smooth and hassle-free.