diff --git a/setuptools/__init__.py b/setuptools/__init__.py
index bf03f37b779..2917c6a811e 100644
--- a/setuptools/__init__.py
+++ b/setuptools/__init__.py
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@
 import functools
 import os
 import re
+import sys
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
+sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(__file__) + '/_vendor')
+
 import _distutils_hack.override  # noqa: F401
 import distutils.core
 from distutils.errors import DistutilsOptionError
diff --git a/setuptools/_core_metadata.py b/setuptools/_core_metadata.py
index 45aae7d70be..82ec19fc755 100644
--- a/setuptools/_core_metadata.py
+++ b/setuptools/_core_metadata.py
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
 from distutils.util import rfc822_escape
 
 from . import _normalization, _reqs
-from .extern.packaging.markers import Marker
-from .extern.packaging.requirements import Requirement
-from .extern.packaging.utils import canonicalize_name, canonicalize_version
-from .extern.packaging.version import Version
+from packaging.markers import Marker
+from packaging.requirements import Requirement
+from packaging.utils import canonicalize_name, canonicalize_version
+from packaging.version import Version
 from .warnings import SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning
 
 
diff --git a/setuptools/_entry_points.py b/setuptools/_entry_points.py
index b244e78387b..5de12582beb 100644
--- a/setuptools/_entry_points.py
+++ b/setuptools/_entry_points.py
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 import itertools
 
 from .errors import OptionError
-from .extern.jaraco.text import yield_lines
-from .extern.jaraco.functools import pass_none
+from jaraco.text import yield_lines
+from jaraco.functools import pass_none
 from ._importlib import metadata
 from ._itertools import ensure_unique
-from .extern.more_itertools import consume
+from more_itertools import consume
 
 
 def ensure_valid(ep):
diff --git a/setuptools/_importlib.py b/setuptools/_importlib.py
index 8e52888d6f7..ff3288102ac 100644
--- a/setuptools/_importlib.py
+++ b/setuptools/_importlib.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def disable_importlib_metadata_finder(metadata):
 
 
 if sys.version_info < (3, 10):
-    from setuptools.extern import importlib_metadata as metadata
+    import importlib_metadata as metadata
 
     disable_importlib_metadata_finder(metadata)
 else:
@@ -46,6 +46,6 @@ def disable_importlib_metadata_finder(metadata):
 
 
 if sys.version_info < (3, 9):
-    from setuptools.extern import importlib_resources as resources
+    import importlib_resources as resources
 else:
     import importlib.resources as resources  # noqa: F401
diff --git a/setuptools/_normalization.py b/setuptools/_normalization.py
index e858052ccd3..467b643d463 100644
--- a/setuptools/_normalization.py
+++ b/setuptools/_normalization.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import re
 
-from .extern import packaging
+import packaging
 
 # https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/specifications/core-metadata/#name
 _VALID_NAME = re.compile(r"^([A-Z0-9]|[A-Z0-9][A-Z0-9._-]*[A-Z0-9])$", re.I)
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def safe_version(version: str) -> str:
     >>> safe_version("ubuntu lts")
     Traceback (most recent call last):
     ...
-    setuptools.extern.packaging.version.InvalidVersion: Invalid version: 'ubuntu.lts'
+    packaging.version.InvalidVersion: Invalid version: 'ubuntu.lts'
     """
     v = version.replace(' ', '.')
     try:
diff --git a/setuptools/_reqs.py b/setuptools/_reqs.py
index 9f83437033c..1b64d9df792 100644
--- a/setuptools/_reqs.py
+++ b/setuptools/_reqs.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 from functools import lru_cache
 from typing import Callable, Iterable, Iterator, TypeVar, Union, overload
 
-import setuptools.extern.jaraco.text as text
-from setuptools.extern.packaging.requirements import Requirement
+import jaraco.text as text
+from packaging.requirements import Requirement
 
 _T = TypeVar("_T")
 _StrOrIter = Union[str, Iterable[str]]
diff --git a/setuptools/command/_requirestxt.py b/setuptools/command/_requirestxt.py
index 1f1967e7aa3..ef35d183e86 100644
--- a/setuptools/command/_requirestxt.py
+++ b/setuptools/command/_requirestxt.py
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@
 from typing import Dict, Mapping, TypeVar
 
 from .. import _reqs
-from ..extern.jaraco.text import yield_lines
-from ..extern.packaging.requirements import Requirement
+from jaraco.text import yield_lines
+from packaging.requirements import Requirement
 
 
 # dict can work as an ordered set
diff --git a/setuptools/command/bdist_wheel.py b/setuptools/command/bdist_wheel.py
index d8cdd4e4060..50248cdc259 100644
--- a/setuptools/command/bdist_wheel.py
+++ b/setuptools/command/bdist_wheel.py
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@
 from zipfile import ZIP_DEFLATED, ZIP_STORED
 
 from .. import Command, __version__
-from ..extern.wheel.metadata import pkginfo_to_metadata
-from ..extern.packaging import tags
-from ..extern.packaging import version as _packaging_version
-from ..extern.wheel.wheelfile import WheelFile
+from wheel.metadata import pkginfo_to_metadata
+from packaging import tags
+from packaging import version as _packaging_version
+from wheel.wheelfile import WheelFile
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     import types
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def get_platform(archive_root: str | None) -> str:
     """Return our platform name 'win32', 'linux_x86_64'"""
     result = sysconfig.get_platform()
     if result.startswith("macosx") and archive_root is not None:
-        from ..extern.wheel.macosx_libfile import calculate_macosx_platform_tag
+        from wheel.macosx_libfile import calculate_macosx_platform_tag
 
         result = calculate_macosx_platform_tag(archive_root, result)
     elif _is_32bit_interpreter():
diff --git a/setuptools/command/build_py.py b/setuptools/command/build_py.py
index ab49874635f..15a4f63fdd4 100644
--- a/setuptools/command/build_py.py
+++ b/setuptools/command/build_py.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Iterable, Iterator
 
-from ..extern.more_itertools import unique_everseen
+from more_itertools import unique_everseen
 from ..warnings import SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning
 
 
diff --git a/setuptools/command/easy_install.py b/setuptools/command/easy_install.py
index e6ce3fcc055..36114d40ed9 100644
--- a/setuptools/command/easy_install.py
+++ b/setuptools/command/easy_install.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
 import pkg_resources
 from ..compat import py39, py311
 from .._path import ensure_directory
-from ..extern.jaraco.text import yield_lines
+from jaraco.text import yield_lines
 
 
 # Turn on PEP440Warnings
diff --git a/setuptools/command/editable_wheel.py b/setuptools/command/editable_wheel.py
index ae31bb4c79b..65058c2cd61 100644
--- a/setuptools/command/editable_wheel.py
+++ b/setuptools/command/editable_wheel.py
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ def _safely_run(self, cmd_name: str):
             )
 
     def _create_wheel_file(self, bdist_wheel):
-        from ..extern.wheel.wheelfile import WheelFile
+        from wheel.wheelfile import WheelFile
 
         dist_info = self.get_finalized_command("dist_info")
         dist_name = dist_info.name
diff --git a/setuptools/command/egg_info.py b/setuptools/command/egg_info.py
index 2f203033413..9e63a934e63 100644
--- a/setuptools/command/egg_info.py
+++ b/setuptools/command/egg_info.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 import setuptools.unicode_utils as unicode_utils
 from setuptools.glob import glob
 
-from setuptools.extern import packaging
+import packaging
 from ..warnings import SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning
 
 
diff --git a/setuptools/command/test.py b/setuptools/command/test.py
index af1349e1c6e..fbdf9fb9423 100644
--- a/setuptools/command/test.py
+++ b/setuptools/command/test.py
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@
 )
 from .._importlib import metadata
 from setuptools import Command
-from setuptools.extern.more_itertools import unique_everseen
-from setuptools.extern.jaraco.functools import pass_none
+from more_itertools import unique_everseen
+from jaraco.functools import pass_none
 
 
 class ScanningLoader(TestLoader):
diff --git a/setuptools/compat/py310.py b/setuptools/compat/py310.py
index f7d53d6de94..cc875c004b6 100644
--- a/setuptools/compat/py310.py
+++ b/setuptools/compat/py310.py
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@
 if sys.version_info >= (3, 11):
     import tomllib
 else:  # pragma: no cover
-    from setuptools.extern import tomli as tomllib
+    import tomli as tomllib
diff --git a/setuptools/config/_apply_pyprojecttoml.py b/setuptools/config/_apply_pyprojecttoml.py
index f44271c5ddb..8c1a81dda5e 100644
--- a/setuptools/config/_apply_pyprojecttoml.py
+++ b/setuptools/config/_apply_pyprojecttoml.py
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ def _project_urls(dist: Distribution, val: dict, _root_dir):
 
 
 def _python_requires(dist: Distribution, val: dict, _root_dir):
-    from setuptools.extern.packaging.specifiers import SpecifierSet
+    from packaging.specifiers import SpecifierSet
 
     _set_config(dist, "python_requires", SpecifierSet(val))
 
diff --git a/setuptools/config/expand.py b/setuptools/config/expand.py
index e5f5dc586e8..f5d94a380c7 100644
--- a/setuptools/config/expand.py
+++ b/setuptools/config/expand.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ def read_files(
 
     (By default ``root_dir`` is the current directory).
     """
-    from setuptools.extern.more_itertools import always_iterable
+    from more_itertools import always_iterable
 
     root_dir = os.path.abspath(root_dir or os.getcwd())
     _filepaths = (os.path.join(root_dir, path) for path in always_iterable(filepaths))
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ def find_packages(
     :rtype: list
     """
     from setuptools.discovery import construct_package_dir
-    from setuptools.extern.more_itertools import unique_everseen, always_iterable
+    from more_itertools import unique_everseen, always_iterable
 
     if namespaces:
         from setuptools.discovery import PEP420PackageFinder as PackageFinder
diff --git a/setuptools/config/pyprojecttoml.py b/setuptools/config/pyprojecttoml.py
index d41c956cbd4..c315d71535e 100644
--- a/setuptools/config/pyprojecttoml.py
+++ b/setuptools/config/pyprojecttoml.py
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ def _ensure_previously_set(self, dist: Distribution, field: str):
     def _expand_directive(
         self, specifier: str, directive, package_dir: Mapping[str, str]
     ):
-        from setuptools.extern.more_itertools import always_iterable
+        from more_itertools import always_iterable
 
         with _ignore_errors(self.ignore_option_errors):
             root_dir = self.root_dir
diff --git a/setuptools/config/setupcfg.py b/setuptools/config/setupcfg.py
index 80ebe3d9bd5..2ca0856ab43 100644
--- a/setuptools/config/setupcfg.py
+++ b/setuptools/config/setupcfg.py
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@
 
 from .._path import StrPath
 from ..errors import FileError, OptionError
-from ..extern.packaging.markers import default_environment as marker_env
-from ..extern.packaging.requirements import InvalidRequirement, Requirement
-from ..extern.packaging.specifiers import SpecifierSet
-from ..extern.packaging.version import InvalidVersion, Version
+from packaging.markers import default_environment as marker_env
+from packaging.requirements import InvalidRequirement, Requirement
+from packaging.specifiers import SpecifierSet
+from packaging.version import InvalidVersion, Version
 from ..warnings import SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning
 from . import expand
 
diff --git a/setuptools/depends.py b/setuptools/depends.py
index 2226b6784af..871a0925ef7 100644
--- a/setuptools/depends.py
+++ b/setuptools/depends.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 from . import _imp
 from ._imp import find_module, PY_COMPILED, PY_FROZEN, PY_SOURCE
-from .extern.packaging.version import Version
+from packaging.version import Version
 
 
 __all__ = ['Require', 'find_module']
diff --git a/setuptools/dist.py b/setuptools/dist.py
index 32e8d43c64a..bcab50ba65f 100644
--- a/setuptools/dist.py
+++ b/setuptools/dist.py
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@
 from distutils.fancy_getopt import translate_longopt
 from distutils.util import strtobool
 
-from .extern.more_itertools import partition, unique_everseen
-from .extern.ordered_set import OrderedSet
-from .extern.packaging.markers import InvalidMarker, Marker
-from .extern.packaging.specifiers import InvalidSpecifier, SpecifierSet
-from .extern.packaging.version import Version
+from more_itertools import partition, unique_everseen
+from ordered_set import OrderedSet
+from packaging.markers import InvalidMarker, Marker
+from packaging.specifiers import InvalidSpecifier, SpecifierSet
+from packaging.version import Version
 
 from . import _entry_points
 from . import _normalization
diff --git a/setuptools/msvc.py b/setuptools/msvc.py
index a3d350fe509..2768059213f 100644
--- a/setuptools/msvc.py
+++ b/setuptools/msvc.py
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@
 import subprocess
 import distutils.errors
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
-from setuptools.extern.more_itertools import unique_everseen
+
+from more_itertools import unique_everseen
 
 # https://github.com/python/mypy/issues/8166
 if not TYPE_CHECKING and platform.system() == 'Windows':
diff --git a/setuptools/package_index.py b/setuptools/package_index.py
index 2c807f6b4e6..c24c783762b 100644
--- a/setuptools/package_index.py
+++ b/setuptools/package_index.py
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@
 from distutils.errors import DistutilsError
 from fnmatch import translate
 from setuptools.wheel import Wheel
-from setuptools.extern.more_itertools import unique_everseen
+
+from more_itertools import unique_everseen
 
 from .unicode_utils import _read_utf8_with_fallback, _cfg_read_utf8_with_fallback
 
diff --git a/setuptools/tests/config/test_setupcfg.py b/setuptools/tests/config/test_setupcfg.py
index bf9777c6682..dc8a4f7f88c 100644
--- a/setuptools/tests/config/test_setupcfg.py
+++ b/setuptools/tests/config/test_setupcfg.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from distutils.errors import DistutilsOptionError, DistutilsFileError
 from setuptools.dist import Distribution, _Distribution
 from setuptools.config.setupcfg import ConfigHandler, read_configuration
-from setuptools.extern.packaging.requirements import InvalidRequirement
+from packaging.requirements import InvalidRequirement
 from setuptools.warnings import SetuptoolsDeprecationWarning
 from ..textwrap import DALS
 
diff --git a/setuptools/tests/test_bdist_wheel.py b/setuptools/tests/test_bdist_wheel.py
index 232b66d3685..7043d857d7f 100644
--- a/setuptools/tests/test_bdist_wheel.py
+++ b/setuptools/tests/test_bdist_wheel.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     remove_readonly_exc,
 )
 from setuptools.dist import Distribution
-from setuptools.extern.packaging import tags
+from packaging import tags
 
 DEFAULT_FILES = {
     "dummy_dist-1.0.dist-info/top_level.txt",
@@ -598,12 +598,12 @@ def _fake_import(name: str, *args, **kwargs):
         return importlib.__import__(name, *args, **kwargs)
 
     with suppress(KeyError):
-        monkeypatch.delitem(sys.modules, "setuptools.extern.wheel.macosx_libfile")
+        monkeypatch.delitem(sys.modules, "wheel.macosx_libfile")
 
     # Install an importer shim that refuses to load ctypes
     monkeypatch.setattr(builtins, "__import__", _fake_import)
     with pytest.raises(ModuleNotFoundError, match="No module named ctypes"):
-        import setuptools.extern.wheel.macosx_libfile
+        import wheel.macosx_libfile  # noqa: F401
 
     # Unload and reimport the bdist_wheel command module to make sure it won't try to
     # import ctypes
diff --git a/setuptools/tests/test_extern.py b/setuptools/tests/test_extern.py
index 0d6b164f531..da01b25b981 100644
--- a/setuptools/tests/test_extern.py
+++ b/setuptools/tests/test_extern.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import pickle
 
 from setuptools import Distribution
-from setuptools.extern import ordered_set
+import ordered_set
 
 
 def test_reimport_extern():
diff --git a/setuptools/tests/test_setuptools.py b/setuptools/tests/test_setuptools.py
index b1ca2396bd5..0c5b1f18fa5 100644
--- a/setuptools/tests/test_setuptools.py
+++ b/setuptools/tests/test_setuptools.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 import setuptools.depends as dep
 from setuptools.depends import Require
 
-from setuptools.extern.packaging.version import Version
+from packaging.version import Version
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
diff --git a/setuptools/tests/test_wheel.py b/setuptools/tests/test_wheel.py
index cdfd9d1a5f3..e58ccd8d18e 100644
--- a/setuptools/tests/test_wheel.py
+++ b/setuptools/tests/test_wheel.py
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@
 from jaraco import path
 
 from pkg_resources import Distribution, PathMetadata, PY_MAJOR
-from setuptools.extern.packaging.utils import canonicalize_name
-from setuptools.extern.packaging.tags import parse_tag
+from packaging.utils import canonicalize_name
+from packaging.tags import parse_tag
 from setuptools.wheel import Wheel
 
 from .contexts import tempdir
diff --git a/setuptools/wheel.py b/setuptools/wheel.py
index e06daec4d0e..a05cd98d1f5 100644
--- a/setuptools/wheel.py
+++ b/setuptools/wheel.py
@@ -9,12 +9,13 @@
 import zipfile
 import contextlib
 
+from packaging.version import Version as parse_version
+from packaging.tags import sys_tags
+from packaging.utils import canonicalize_name
+
 from distutils.util import get_platform
 
 import setuptools
-from setuptools.extern.packaging.version import Version as parse_version
-from setuptools.extern.packaging.tags import sys_tags
-from setuptools.extern.packaging.utils import canonicalize_name
 from setuptools.command.egg_info import write_requirements, _egg_basename
 from setuptools.archive_util import _unpack_zipfile_obj