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Affiliate agency for Chinese brands in the US.

Red Thread helps Chinese brands launch and grow affiliate and partner programmes in the United States. We connect you with the publishers, creators and loyalty platforms American shoppers trust, set up the right network, and run the programme day to day, so it drives tracked sales to your own website and your Amazon store.

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Affiliate marketing for Chinese brands in the US

Why the US

The world’s biggest affiliate market.

The US is the world’s largest affiliate market, and it keeps growing faster than online shopping itself.

$14bn+

US brands are expected to spend more than $14 billion on affiliate marketing in 2026, up 11.4% on last year. The channel drives an estimated $241 billion in US online sales.

$340bn

Americans spent $340 billion online in the second quarter of 2026 alone, 12% more than a year earlier.

Nearly half

Chinese sellers already compete here. Nearly half of the top 10,000 sellers on Amazon in the US are based in China.

The catch: selling cheaply is no longer enough. Since the US ended duty-free shipping for low-value parcels in 2025, Chinese brands have to win on brand and trust rather than price alone. That is exactly what good affiliate partners build: reviews, recommendations and loyal audiences.

Sources: EMARKETER, US affiliate marketing forecasts 2025 and 2026; US Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, Q2 2026; Marketplace Pulse via Modern Retail.

How the US market works

Know your partner mix.

Cashback and loyalty platforms take about a third of US affiliate spend, and coupon and deal sites drive a large share of sales. Content publishers and creators are where new brands build trust.

Partner type	What to know
Cashback and loyalty	The biggest part of US affiliate spend. Great for driving volume, but watch your margins.
Coupon and deal sites	Drive a lot of sales, especially around Black Friday, Prime Day and other big shopping events. Best used with clear rules on codes.
Review and content publishers	Tech, home and lifestyle sites whose buying guides and reviews shoppers trust. Usually the most valuable partners for a new brand.
Creators	YouTube, Instagram and TikTok creators who show your products in use. Often paid a fixed fee plus commission.
Amazon-focused partners	Publishers and creators who send traffic straight to your Amazon listings, tracked through Amazon Attribution.

We work with the networks that suit your goals, including Impact, Partnerize, CJ, Rakuten, Awin US and Everflow. See our guide to the best affiliate networks for Chinese brands.

Sources: Performance Marketing Association via EMARKETER (2024 spend mix); Awin via EMARKETER (H1 2025).

What we do in the US

Everything you need to launch and grow.

Programme launch

We set up your programme on the right network, with commission rates and terms that make sense for US partners.

Partner recruitment

We bring on the review sites, content publishers, creators and loyalty platforms that fit your products, and we already know many of them personally.

Content commerce

We negotiate placements in buying guides, reviews and newsletters, and use our relationships to get you better prices and more exposure.

Big shopping moments

We plan partner campaigns around Prime Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and back-to-school, when US shoppers spend the most.

Amazon growth

We drive tracked traffic from trusted publishers to your Amazon listings and store.

Day-to-day management

We support partners, approve sales, protect your margins and report on what is working.

How we work

From first plan to peak season.

Our team has launched and grown partner programmes for brands such as Apple, Uber and New Balance, and we have deep links to Shenzhen, so we understand both sides.

Market review

We look at your products, prices and goals, and decide whether to start with your own website, Amazon or both.

Set-up

We choose the network, set commissions and make sure your website, creative and messaging are ready for American shoppers.

Recruit and activate

We bring partners on board and help them get your brand live. Good partnerships take time and hands-on support, so we stay close to them.

Grow

We back the partners that perform, cut what does not, and build towards the big shopping events.

FAQ

Common questions.

Should we start in the US or Europe?

It depends on your product and where you already sell. The US is the biggest single market and works in one language. Europe needs a plan for each country. See our Europe page or our post on UK, EU or US: where to launch first.

Can you send traffic to our Amazon store?

Yes. Many US publishers and creators link straight to Amazon, and we track those sales through Amazon Attribution.

Which affiliate network do you use?

We are not tied to any network. We pick the one that suits your goals and budget.

Do coupon and cashback sites hurt our margins?

They can if they are not managed. We set clear rules on codes and commission, so these partners add new sales rather than just taking a cut.

How long until we see results?

Expect the first few months to focus on recruiting and activating partners. Sales usually build as partners publish content and see good results.

New to the channel? Read our complete guide to affiliate marketing for Chinese brands.

Get started

Ready to grow in the US?

Tell us about your brand and your goals. We will tell you honestly where to start.

Book a call