Why Are Most Vitamins Made in China and India?
The vast majority of vitamins including over 90% of global vitamin C, are made in China. India isn’t far behind. Together, these two countries produce the lion’s share of the world’s vitamin ingredients used in supplements, fortified foods, and nutritional premixes.
That surprises many people. But it shouldn’t.
China and India have become dominant forces in vitamin production for good reasons, and understanding those reasons helps us make smarter decisions about our supply chain, our products, and the way we communicate with customers.
A Shift in Global Manufacturing
Back in the 1980s and 90s, vitamin manufacturing was spread more evenly across the U.S., Europe, and parts of Asia. But as global trade expanded, many Western companies offshored production to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
China and India saw the opportunity and invested heavily.
They built the facilities, developed expertise, and streamlined supply chains. Over time, the vitamin supply chain consolidated around these regions, creating economies of scale that were difficult for other countries to match.
Infrastructure, Investment, and Expertise
This isn’t just about cheap labor. China and India now lead the world in vitamin production because they’ve built state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, invested in chemical engineering talent, and created supply chains that are optimized for high-volume output.
In fact, many of the GMP-certified, ISO-accredited plants we source from in China and India follow stricter quality control processes than some domestic manufacturers. These countries are no longer just low-cost producers, they’re global leaders in efficiency, scale, and consistency.
It’s Not Just About Cost — It’s About Capability
When it comes to producing ingredients like Vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, Vitamin D3, or folic acid, scale matters. These complex processes involve chemical synthesis or microbial fermentation, and the equipment and expertise required to produce them safely and efficiently is expensive.
China and India have the capacity to meet global demand, and they do it with consistent quality and competitive lead times.
Global Dependency Has Its Risks
Of course, relying heavily on any single region for critical ingredients introduces risk.
The COVID-19 pandemic, shifting trade policies, and tightening environmental regulations all revealed the fragility of global supply chains. Manufacturers around the world have faced price volatility, delayed shipments, and raw material shortages.
This is why it’s not enough to simply chase the lowest price. Smart manufacturers require visibility, traceability, and confidence in every part of the supply chain.
How REPCO Builds Resilience
At REPCO, we’ve built a diversified global supplier network. We partner with trusted manufacturers in China, India, and beyond — but we don’t take quality for granted.
Every supplier undergoes a rigorous audit and qualification process. Every batch is tested and verified before it’s blended into a customer formulation. That’s how we consistently deliver high-quality premixes that our partners can trust — regardless of where an ingredient is sourced.
For us, the question isn’t where vitamins are made. It’s how it’s made, who is making it, and what standards they follow.
From the Source: Our CEO’s Take
“It’s nice to think we should only buy from U.S. suppliers. But the reality is, there are no longer U.S. manufacturers left, you’re not going to start manufacturing vitamins in the U.S. overnight. It would take massive infrastructure, and most companies can’t absorb that cost. The global economy relies on trade and trusted supply partnerships — it doesn’t work otherwise.
“I’ve met our suppliers. I’ve met many of their families. It’s easy to see China or India only through a political or economic lens. But what we see are people — smart, capable professionals whose livelihoods depend on the quality of what they produce. These are our supplier partners. They help us deliver on our purpose every day: For Goodness’ Sake.
