Walmart Global E-commerce Launches New Seller Incentive Program; Multiple Logistics Companies Suspend Middle East Operations丨Cross-border E-commerce Weekly Report

[Ebrun Original] Here's what happened in the cross-border e-commerce sector over the past week:

# Platform Updates #

[Amazon]

1. Amazon Launches Amazon Now Express Delivery Service in Japan

Amazon announced the launch of its Amazon Now express delivery service in Japan. The service promises delivery within approximately 30 minutes of ordering, focusing on daily necessities such as food, beverages, and household items. Currently available in parts of Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, the service area is planned for gradual expansion.

2. Amazon Introduces AI-Powered Dynamic Canvas for Real-time Product Data Analysis

Amazon has launched an AI-powered "Dynamic Canvas" feature to help sellers analyze data visually and gain key insights. This new experience combines AI chat with a dynamic visual interface, creating an integrated workspace for data, analytics, and actionable recommendations. Sellers can ask Seller Assistant questions or select system-suggested queries, and the system will automatically generate a personalized canvas integrating business-relevant data, insights, and suggested actions. The feature is now available to all sellers on US and UK marketplaces at no extra cost.

3. Amazon Seller Wallet Officially Launches in Seven European Countries, Offering Multi-currency Management

Amazon announced that its financial service tool, "Seller Wallet," is now officially available in seven European countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands. This feature is designed to provide flexible and efficient fund management solutions for cross-border sellers dealing with multiple currencies. Through Seller Wallet, sellers can centrally manage Euro revenue from European marketplaces and US Dollar revenue from the US marketplace within a single account, with the ability to set up separate Euro and USD sub-accounts.

[TikTok]

1. TikTok Shop Southeast Asia Cross-border to Restrict Inactive or Misleading Videos

TikTok Shop's Southeast Asia cross-border platform issued a new announcement stating that, effective March 30, 2026, it will impose content publishing restrictions on merchants who post inactive or misleading videos. According to the new rule, if a merchant posts 5 or more inactive or misleading videos within a 7-day period, publishing restrictions will be triggered. Once restrictions are active, the merchant can publish a maximum of 7 TikTok Shop videos in the following 7 days. Exceeding this limit will result in product links being hidden in the videos.

"Inactive videos" refer to low-quality videos lacking effective visual dynamics or real-time interaction; "Misleading videos" include content where product promotion is inconsistent, function or effect claims are misleading, or sympathy-seeking promotion methods that may cause audience misunderstanding. The platform explicitly stated that AI-generated content (AIGC) violating these rules will also be subject to the restrictions.

[Alibaba]

1. Sanrio Announces Collaboration with Lazada to Launch Exclusive Product Series in Thailand

Southeast Asian e-commerce platform Lazada announced a collaboration with Sanrio to launch an exclusive series of products, featuring fashion items from Sanrio's globally renowned IPs such as Hello Kitty, Kuromi, and Cinnamoroll. This collaboration also marks the first large-scale introduction of a globally famous IP licensing project in Thai e-commerce.

[Shopee]

1. Shopee Thailand Announces New Cross-border Return Policy

Shopee Thailand announced that starting March 11, 2026 (Beijing Time), a cross-border return shipping fee of $8 per item will be charged for Cash on Delivery (COD) parcels that are eligible for cross-border return due to buyer failure to receive or delivery failure. This fee adjustment applies to COD parcels valued at $20 or more (specific amount subject to actual judgment) that meet the return criteria. The policy will take effect for eligible return orders from March 11, 2026 (Beijing Time).

2. Shopee Thailand Upgrades Sub-account Permissions, Adds "Shipping & Order Management" and "Edit Shipping Settings"

Shopee Thailand updated sub-account permissions starting February 27, 2026, to enhance consistency and security for sellers across Seller Centre, Shopee App, and other seller channels. After the update, if a primary account wants a sub-account to perform shipping operations, it must grant both "Shipping" and "Order Management" permissions. If the primary account wants the sub-account to be able to edit shipping settings across all channels (such as enabling/disabling COD, activating/deactivating logistics channels), it must also grant the separate "Edit Shipping Settings" permission.

3. Shopee Malaysia Mall Sellers Face New Fast Shipping Assessment Requirement

Shopee Cross-border updated its operational requirements for Mall sellers on February 28, 2026, adding a new assessment standard for the Malaysia site. Sellers are now required to maintain a fast shipping rate of over 80% within the past 30 days. Previously, the platform only set fast shipping rate requirements for Mall sellers in Singapore and Thailand, with a standard of 75%.

[Other Platforms]

1. SHEIN's EU Digital Services Act Transparency Report: European MAU Reaches 156 Million, Growth Slows; Germany is Largest Revenue Market

SHEIN's latest EU Digital Services Act transparency report reveals that from August 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026, its average monthly active users in the EU reached 155,740,287 (approximately 156 million), an increase of over 10 million users compared to the previous reporting period (February-July), representing a growth rate of 6.9%.

From a country distribution perspective, France led with 28.2 million MAU, followed by Spain (27.3 million) and Italy (25 million), while Germany ranked fourth with 22.2 million users. However, in terms of revenue contribution, Germany has long been SHEIN's largest market in Europe and its second-largest revenue source globally after the US. Belgium saw the fastest user growth at 16.2%, while user numbers declined in smaller markets like Malta, Slovenia, and Latvia.

2. Wildberries Expected to Begin Operations in Ethiopia in April

Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries is exploring opportunities to enter new international markets. Internal sources indicate its expansion targets include Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India in Southeast Asia, as well as Ethiopia in Africa. Wildberries officially confirmed that preparations for a pilot launch in Ethiopia are underway, and the pilot's results will determine the project's future direction, with operations expected to begin in Ethiopia in April. The platform is also in talks with partners regarding entry into Asian markets like India, and a "Made in India" section has already been launched on its e-commerce website.

3. Rakuten Ichiba Opens Seller Registration to Six European Countries and New Zealand

Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten Ichiba announced it has opened seller registration eligibility to six new countries: Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, and New Zealand. This expansion brings the total number of eligible seller locations to 22, previously covering regions like China, North America, Australia, the UK, Germany, and Denmark.

4. Mercado Livre Adjusts Brazil Shipping Policy, Ends Broad Seller Subsidy

Mercado Livre announced adjustments to its shipping and fee policy on the Brazil platform, ending the previous broad seller shipping subsidy model.

Previously, Mercado Livre used a fixed fee model where sellers paid a fixed shipping fee plus sales commission for items priced below 79 BRL; items priced between 79-199.99 BRL enjoyed shipping discounts, with fees reduced by up to 40%.

According to the latest announcement, Mercado Livre has abolished the fixed fee policy and incorporated items priced above 19 BRL into a new shipping rate system. Sellers now pay shipping based on product weight and price, but it is still displayed as free shipping on the buyer's page.

5. Walmart Global E-commerce Launches 2026 New Seller Incentive Program

Walmart Global E-commerce has officially launched its 2026 New Seller Incentive Program: New sellers who register on Walmart US after February 1, 2026, and meet the conditions have the opportunity to enjoy benefits worth up to $75,000, including sales commission discounts, WFS logistics fee discounts, SEM advertising fee rebates, and advertising credits.

6. Yandex Releases AI E-commerce Integration Standard YCP, Enabling Direct Shopping via AI Chat

Russian e-commerce platform Yandex has introduced a series of innovations, including the release of the country's first e-commerce and AI integration standard – Yandex Commerce Protocol (YCP). This standard supports direct product sales for sellers through the Alice AI chat interface and offers four technical integration options. Additionally, the platform upgraded its AI theme recommendation feature, allowing users to customize up to 10 theme lists, with intelligent agents analyzing product data to generate personalized recommendations.

7. ManoMano Begins Recruiting Chinese Sellers

Europe's leading home DIY and gardening vertical e-commerce platform ManoMano has released its 2026 merchant recruitment policy, aiming to attract more high-quality sellers. As the first e-commerce platform in Europe focused on the home improvement and gardening market, ManoMano covers six core markets: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and Belgium, with over 50 million monthly visits. However, the platform has only about 5,000 sellers, with Chinese sellers accounting for less than 10%.

The platform requires sellers to have prior European cross-border e-commerce experience, must have operated a quality store on at least one other European e-commerce platform, achieve monthly sales of over ?30,000 on Amazon Europe, and have a monthly sales turnover exceeding ?50,000 on European sites. In logistics, ManoMano encourages sellers to use its official warehouse, ManoExpress, which not only provides delivery within 48 hours but also improves product search ranking and grants exclusive delivery labels, with logistics costs reportedly 25% lower than Amazon FBA.

8. Mercado Livre Launches Fully Managed and Semi-managed Models, Begins Recruiting Chinese Enterprises

Mercado Livre has officially launched two business models, Semi-managed and Fully Managed, targeting Chinese manufacturing enterprises and has recently begun full-scale recruitment.

Reportedly, under Mercado Livre's Semi-managed model, merchants pre-stock goods at the platform's official warehouse in Shatian, Dongguan, China. After orders are placed, the platform handles subsequent logistics and operational steps, including warehouse management, sorting and packing, international shipping, and last-mile delivery; merchants focus on products and front-end operations.

According to Mercado Livre's recruitment information, the profile and requirements for Semi-managed sellers are: sellers with experience operating on mainstream cross-border platforms, which can be factories, integrated manufacturing-trading businesses, brand owners, or traders; possessing a business license from Mainland China/Hong Kong; annual turnover per store exceeding $300,000 USD; having a dedicated team to manage platform operations, supply chain, customer service, etc.; brand sellers need to possess an R-mark or TM mark and operate e-commerce business as a brand store on domestic or international e-commerce platforms.

# Investments & Financing #

1. XR Glasses Company VITURE Completes $100 Million Funding Round

VITURE officially announced the completion of a new funding round, raising $100 million (approximately 686 million RMB). This follows its $100 million Series B round completed in September 2025. This round was led by Legend Capital, an investment institution under Lenovo, with participation from existing investors including Bertelsmann Group and several strategic investors.

# Overseas Marketing #

1. AI E-commerce Hitting Roadblocks? Reports Suggest ChatGPT Scaling Back In-app Shopping, Returning to Traffic Source Role

According to a report by The Information, OpenAI is adjusting its strategy in AI shopping, considering pausing the in-app checkout function within ChatGPT. In the future, users seeing product recommendations in ChatGPT would need to jump to an e-commerce platform or independent site to complete payment, rather than placing orders directly within the ChatGPT chat interface.

# Cross-border Logistics #

1. ZIM: Ashdod and Haifa Ports Operating Normally

ZIM issued an announcement regarding its operations under the current regional situation. The announcement indicates that Israel's two main ports, Ashdod and Haifa, are currently operating normally, with relevant vessels berthing according to schedule, and bookings for Israeli routes continue to be accepted normally. For dangerous goods transportation, ZIM stated it will make temporary adjustments based on guidance from local authorities.

2. COSCO Shipping Suspends Booking Services for UAE, Qatar, and Four Other Countries

Due to escalating conflicts in the Middle East, global shipping giant COSCO Shipping announced the suspension of booking services for certain routes. Due to restrictions on passage through the Strait of Hormuz and to ensure shipping safety, COSCO Shipping decided to immediately suspend new import and export bookings globally to the UAE (excluding the ports of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan), Qatar, and four other countries.

3. SF Express Suspends International Express and E-commerce Services for Multiple Middle Eastern Countries

SF International's website published an announcement stating that due to the recent intensification of geopolitical risks in the Middle East, international flight capacity and local logistics resource allocation have been severely disrupted. To maximize the protection of the safety of personnel and property of relevant parties, the company decided to suspend international express services and international e-commerce services for multiple countries in the Middle East effective immediately. This move is expected to have short-term impacts on recent cross-border trade and personal deliveries between China and the Middle East, with specific resumption times to be announced later.

4. Middle East Turmoil Leads Amazon to Close Abu Dhabi Fulfillment Center

Due to ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, Amazon announced the closure of its core fulfillment center in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and the suspension of delivery services across the entire region to ensure the safety of employees and partners.

5. Strait of Hormuz Shipping Disrupted, Multiple International Port and Shipping Companies Announce Emergency Measures

As conflicts between the US/Israel and Iran intensify, affecting multiple Middle Eastern countries, several of the world's largest shipping companies are choosing to avoid the Persian Gulf. DP World has suspended operations at the main port in Dubai. MSC, the world's largest container shipping line, announced the suspension of all new bookings to the Middle East region. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have suspended all routes transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

# Industry Policies & Data #

1. South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy: 26 Retailers' January Sales Grow 4.4% YoY

According to the latest data from South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the total sales of 26 major retailers in January increased by 4.4% compared to the same period last year. The main driver of growth came from online channels, with online sales increasing by 8.2% during the month. Across product categories, online sales showed growth across the board. Food sales increased by 7.7% year-on-year, apparel grew by 10.1%, and cosmetics performed most notably with a 15.5% increase.

2. US New Tariffs Rise to 15% This Week

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the latest US global import tariffs will be increased from 10% to 15%, with this policy taking effect officially at some point this week.

3. France Imposes "Small Parcel Tax" on Packages Under ?150 Starting March 1, 2026

The French government announced that starting March 1, 2026, a new tax called the "small parcel tax" will be levied on all packages with a declared value of ?150 or less sent from outside the EU to mainland France, Monaco, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion. The tax is levied at ?2 per HS code (tariff line) of goods within the parcel, rather than on the parcel as a whole.

4. New US Customs Rule Effective March 1: Goods Cleared Using Another's Bond Will Be Denied Entry

US Customs has officially issued a new rule, clarifying that starting March 1, 2026, it will strengthen crackdowns on the practice of "using another's bond for clearance." The previous large-scale enforcement standard under the "5H examination" will transition into a formal rule. The rule reiterates that, according to US customs law, the only legally responsible entity for clearance is the actual owner of the goods, and using another party's bond for clearance is considered a violation. Starting March 1, if customs inspection discovers such violations, the relevant goods will be directly denied entry and face consequences such as high return shipping fees and port demurrage charges.

5. Brazil Implements New Tariff Policy to Protect Local Manufacturing, Imposing Up to 7.2% Tariff on Over 1,200 Imported Items

Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad recently publicly defended and announced the implementation of a new tariff policy, effective this month. The policy will impose additional tariffs on over 1,200 imported items, including smartphones, with increases of up to 7.2%. Some measures have already taken effect, with the remainder to be fully implemented in March. Haddad emphasized that this tariff adjustment aims to "protect local Brazilian production" and noted that over 90% of the relevant goods are already produced locally in Brazil.