TikTok Shop Launches 'U.S.-Mexico' Cross-Border Program, Enabling Direct Shipping from U.S. Inventory to Mexican Market

Ebrun Exclusive - January 17th: TikTok Shop has announced the launch of its 'U.S.-Mexico' cross-border program, which is expected to officially go live in April this year.

The program centers on a 'direct shipping from U.S. warehouses to Mexico' model, allowing merchants to ship products directly from warehouses within the United States to consumers in Mexico. Without requiring sellers to establish local warehousing or corporate entities in Mexico in advance, the initiative opens up a cross-border e-commerce channel between the U.S. and Mexico. It is seen as a key move by the platform to strengthen its presence in the Latin American market and enhance its cross-border fulfillment network.

In terms of eligibility, the 'U.S.-Mexico' program is not fully open but is available for registration by qualified sellers from the U.S. and China sites, including local U.S. sellers, Chinese sellers with U.S.-registered companies, and mainland Chinese corporate entities. The platform requires that relevant stores maintain a recent service performance score (SPS) of no less than 3.5 points, with different registration processes applicable based on entity type:

Local U.S. sellers can directly access the program entry in their backend and apply with one click; U.S. ACCU sellers (U.S. entity, Chinese legal representative) and U.S. CCCU sellers (Chinese entity, Chinese legal representative) must complete a specialized questionnaire for review after meeting the score requirements.

Additionally, the platform has imposed additional deposit requirements for ACCU and CCCU sellers to strengthen fulfillment and compliance constraints.

For category arrangements during the pilot phase, TikTok Shop has implemented tiered management of sellable products.

Among them, men's wear, women's wear, sportswear, luggage, eyewear, watches, pet supplies, home and daily necessities, and 3C electronics are listed as 'open categories';

Beauty and personal care are classified as 'restricted categories', requiring a COFEPRIS operating license from a Mexican entity and proof of association with the U.S. entity;

Toys for children over three years old and children's apparel fall under 'invitation-only categories', which require activation through a platform account manager;

Adult products, e-cigarettes, medical devices, health products, and maternal and infant products for children under three are explicitly listed as 'prohibited categories', with some of these categories only available to local sellers.

At the product operation level, the 'U.S.-Mexico' program supports both synchronized reuse of product information and independent operation models.

Under the former model, sellers can synchronize existing product images, videos, and details from their U.S. site to the Mexican site with one click, enabling quick listing after necessary Spanish translation. The latter model allows sellers to create separate product listings tailored for the Mexican market, with autonomous pricing and marketing strategies. The platform aims to provide greater flexibility for merchants of varying scales and operational capabilities through this dual-track approach.

In terms of price control, TikTok Shop has set clear caps for the program: the price of a single item must not exceed 3,500 pesos (approximately $170 USD), and the maximum transaction amount per order is 5,200 pesos (approximately $290 USD), to reduce compliance and fulfillment risks associated with high-value products in cross-border transactions.

Logistics and customs clearance arrangements are among the core highlights of the program.

According to the rules, sellers must pre-stock products in warehouses within the United States, whether they are own warehouses, third-party overseas warehouses, or TikTok-designated warehouses. Once Mexican consumers place orders, products will be shipped directly from U.S. warehouses to Mexico. TikTok Shop will collaborate with logistics service providers such as DHL and MailAmericas to offer end-to-end cross-border fulfillment services. Official estimates indicate that delivery times can be shortened from the previous 15–30 days to 3–7 days, significantly improving the cross-border shopping experience.

For customs clearance, the platform uniformly adopts cross-border logistics solutions recognized by Mexican authorities, and merchants do not need to handle complex customs declaration processes themselves. Under current regulations, parcels with a declared value below $50 USD are exempt from tariffs, while amounts exceeding $50 USD are subject to a 17%–19% import tax, primarily Mexico's Value-Added Tax (IVA). Relevant taxes and fees will be collected and paid on behalf of merchants by logistics service providers.

To boost merchant participation, TikTok Shop has simultaneously introduced multiple supporting measures.

On one hand, non-Mexican sellers are exempt from local company registration and tax ID application requirements and do not need to establish warehousing in Mexico, significantly lowering overall compliance barriers and providing a practical pathway for small and medium-sized sellers to enter the Latin American market.

On the other hand, the platform has committed to accelerating fund settlement, with cross-border order proceeds settled within seven days after confirmed receipt, helping to alleviate sellers' cash flow pressures.

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