AliExpress Combats Shipping Cost Manipulation by Requiring Certain New Products Under $10 to Adopt Semi-Managed Model

Ebrun Exclusive: AliExpress recently announced that for new products with a unit price (regional or retail price) below $10, sellers must list and sell them exclusively through the semi-managed model in countries where this service is available, adhering to its basic rules. In countries without semi-managed service, products can still be listed via the POP model.

According to the platform announcement, this policy applies to lightweight, small-item categories like apparel, 3C accessories, and home goods, but excludes custom-made products or those with over 20% of orders from wholesale.

Simultaneously, existing semi-managed products under $10 in these categories cannot exit the model for 180 days, though sellers can adjust their sales regions; new listings are also locked into semi-managed for 180 days from publication.

For sellers willing to shift low-price products to semi-managed, AliExpress also offers corresponding support policies: extended shipping deadlines—orders paid before March 31, 2026, get a 48-hour grace period—and a 3% commission rebate on eligible items.

AliExpress stated this move targets "shipping cost cheating," where sellers attract traffic with artificially low product prices but profit from inflated shipping fees, harming consumer experience. By integrating low-price items into semi-managed, AliExpress aims to standardize pricing for certain categories to ensure better consumer protection.

Some sellers speculate this may also help AliExpress use Choice-focused subsidies to counter EU tariff changes affecting small parcels.