TikTok Launches Local Services in the US; Amazon Rolls Out 30-Minute Ultra-Fast Delivery丨Cross-Border E-Commerce Weekly

[Ebrun Original] Here are the key developments in the cross-border e-commerce sector over the past week:

# Platform Updates #

[Amazon]

1. Amazon's Active Seller Base Shrinks, but Average Monthly Visits per Seller Surge 25% in a Year

According to monitoring by U.S. e-commerce data research firm Marketplace Pulse, the average monthly visits per active seller on Amazon globally have climbed 25% to 3,544 over the past year. This growth rate is significantly higher than the cumulative 31% increase over the previous four years. It is reported that in 2021, this traffic metric was most prominent only on Amazon's U.S. marketplace. Currently, the trend of rising average traffic per active seller has spread to almost all Amazon marketplaces, with non-U.S. markets showing even more pronounced growth. For example, single-seller traffic growth in Brazil, Mexico, France, Poland, and the Netherlands ranges between 40% and 57%.

2. Amazon Launches 30-Minute Ultra-Fast Delivery Service in the US, Expected to Cover Tens of Millions of Users by Year-End

According to foreign media reports, Amazon recently launched a 30-minute delivery service called Amazon Now, officially entering the U.S. ultra-fast delivery market. Currently, the service is live in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Expansion efforts are underway in Austin, Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Orlando, and Phoenix. It is expected to cover tens of millions of users in these and more cities by the end of the year. The Amazon Now entry point is located within the Amazon app and official website, covering thousands of products including groceries, household essentials, electronics, personal care items, and alcohol in compliant areas. Eligible items will be marked with a 30-minute delivery badge, and users can directly see the relevant service entry while browsing. Delivery service operates 24/7 in most areas.

3. Amazon to Integrate Alexa into Search Bar for Shopping Suggestions

Amazon's search bar will generate product comparisons and recommendations using AI capabilities powered by large language models in response to user queries. The new tool, "Alexa for Shopping," replaces the previous shopping assistant robot Rufus, which was primarily responsible for summarizing product reviews and providing product recommendations. The new search experience will be enabled by default for U.S. users and will be automatically triggered based on the user's search behavior, providing AI-generated answers and personalized recommendations.

4. Amazon Prime Video Launches "Dynamic TV Creative" Ad Tool

At the 2026 Upfront advertising presentation event, Amazon announced that Prime Video has launched a new advertising tool called "Dynamic TV Creative." This tool can automatically adjust the content and format of subsequent ads based on whether a viewer has seen a particular brand's ad, the frequency of exposure, and interaction levels. This aims to reduce fatigue from repetitive ads and enhance user engagement.

[TikTok]

1. TikTok Launches Local Services Brand TikTok GO in the US

TikTok announced the launch of its local services brand, TikTok GO, in the United States. The brand was first launched in Indonesia at the end of April, covering local services such as hotels, entertainment, attractions, and dining. Users can directly search and book related services within the app. According to official information, this feature is available to over 200 million TikTok users in the U.S. Users can browse related content through videos, search, or location pages, view details, check availability for rooms or tickets, and complete bookings.

2. TikTok Shop Southeast Asia Launches "Billion-Dollar Express" Program, Offering Eight Exclusive Benefits for Established Large Sellers

The official TikTok Shop Southeast Asia account announced the launch of the "Billion-Dollar Express" program targeting mature large sellers from domestic and international e-commerce platforms. Participating merchants must meet the following criteria: annual sales on platforms like Douyin, Taobao, Tmall, Pinduoduo, Kuaishou, or JD.com reaching RMB 25 million or above; OR annual sales on platforms like Shopee, Lazada, Amazon, Temu, and TikTok Shop U.S. reaching RMB 8 million or above. Eligible key merchants will receive eight exclusive platform benefits, including commission waivers for up to 120 days, up to $15,000 in monthly product subsidies, up to $10,000 in monthly advertising incentives, dedicated one-on-one account manager service, early exemption from the new seller order limit review, governance and operational support, flexible logistics solutions (cross-border direct shipping, local warehouse fulfillment, and multi-warehouse inventory for a single product), and priority cooperation with creators during major sales events.

3. TikTok Shop U.S. Live Auction Opens to Multi-Category Chinese Merchants, Targeting Whatnot

TikTok Shop U.S. has opened its live auction feature to multi-category Chinese merchants for recruitment, offering customized support policies through incentives like commission discounts and live auction task competitions. In March this year, TikTok Shop U.S. officially launched its cross-border POP auction feature—seen by the industry as a direct competitor to the U.S. live-streaming e-commerce newcomer Whatnot. Whatnot started with collectibles trading, later added live-streaming functionality, and features live auctions as a main characteristic. To lower the barrier to entry for merchants, TikTok Shop U.S. has also launched a series of incentive programs, including live auction commission waivers, live auction task competitions, and live auction peak performance challenges. For example, from April 9 to June 30, 2026, the preferential commission rate for cross-border POP all-categories is as low as 3%; the live auction task competition is open to all cross-border POP merchants, and merchants completing tasks can receive coupon rewards.

4. TikTok Shop Launches Cross-Border POP Merchant Growth Service Program

TikTok Shop has officially launched the "Merchant Growth Service Program" for cross-border self-operated merchants. It primarily targets merchant groups with supply chain foundations but operational shortcomings, aiming to help them increase their content asset scale and operational efficiency through a three-month platform resource integration and operational intervention. The overall program operation period is set from May 1, 2026, to July 31, 2026.

5. New TikTok Shop U.S. Return Policy: Sellers to Bear Full Shipping Costs for Buyer-Responsible Returns

TikTok Shop U.S. announced that starting June 2026, for returns due to buyer responsibility such as "no longer needed" or "size doesn't fit," the full shipping costs incurred will be borne by the seller. The previous mechanism where the platform, seller, or buyer shared the costs will be canceled. The platform stated that this move aims to give sellers greater pricing autonomy, allowing sellers full control over return costs.

6. TikTok Shop Philippines Local Stores Introduce Merchant Growth Service Fee Policy

TikTok Shop Philippines local stores announced they will launch multiple support policies in the coming months. The first batch of measures took effect on April 27, 2026: eligible merchants can receive a cashback reward reducing their service fee directly from 2% to 0%. Currently, only compliant merchants with a store experience score not lower than 2.8 and penalty points below 36 can enjoy the cashback reward. To ensure the effective implementation of support policies, the platform will differentially charge a "Merchant Growth Service Fee" by category: 1% for electronics, groceries, and daily necessities; 1.5% for beauty & personal care, fashion & apparel, maternal & child, and health categories. The fee is calculated based on the product price after deducting the merchant's own promotions.

[Alibaba]

1. Alibaba International Nears Breakeven in Q1; AliExpress "Brand +" Plan Active Consumer Penetration Exceeds 30%

Alibaba released its financial report for the first quarter of 2026. The report shows that this quarter, Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group (AIDC) revenue was RMB 35.429 billion (approximately USD 5.136 billion), a 6% increase from RMB 33.579 billion in the same period last year. EBITA was a loss of RMB 138 million, significantly narrowing from a loss of RMB 3.574 billion in the same period last year, approaching breakeven. The financial report disclosed that this change was mainly due to logistics optimization and operational efficiency improvements, while the unit economics of AliExpress Choice business continued to show significant sequential improvement. Additionally, AliExpress's "Brand +" plan further accelerated brand onboarding speed, with the active consumer penetration rate of the "Brand +" plan exceeding 30% this quarter.

[Pinduoduo Temu]

1. Pinduoduo's "New Pinmu" Plan Advances, Expected to Launch Sales in Q3

Pinduoduo announced the formation of "New Pinmu" at its annual earnings conference in April this year, planning to invest RMB 100 billion in cash over the next three years to launch brand self-operation, with an initial cash injection of RMB 15 billion. According to the latest news, New Pinmu has selected three categories: apparel, home goods, and outdoor products, and is currently negotiating with manufacturers in sub-categories such as down jackets, windbreakers, shirts, and suit pants. Sales are expected to launch in the third quarter of this year. Sources close to Pinduoduo revealed that this is currently the 1.0 stage, expected to take 1-2 years to refine before gradually expanding categories. These products will not be sold domestically for now, primarily targeting the U.S. and European markets.

[Other Platforms]

1. GMV Hits $19 Billion, Cross-Border Business Soars 68%! Mercado Libre Reports "Fastest-Growing Quarter in Four Years"

Latin American e-commerce and fintech giant Mercado Libre announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2026. Both its core e-commerce and fintech business segments achieved accelerated expansion, with multiple operating indicators setting new historical records. The financial report shows that in Q1 2026, Mercado Libre's combined net revenue and fintech income reached $8.8 billion, a year-on-year increase of 49%, marking the company's fastest-growing quarter in nearly four years. Meanwhile, the company's e-commerce business accelerated across major Latin American markets, with Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) and number of items sold reaching new highs. During the reporting period, Mercado Libre's quarterly GMV reached $19 billion, up 42% year-on-year; the number of items sold on the platform reached 722 million, a 47% year-on-year increase, equivalent to selling 93 items per second on average.

2. eBay Rejects GameStop's $56 Billion Acquisition Proposal

eBay officially rejected the acquisition proposal from video game retailer GameStop. In a public letter, eBay's board of directors stated that after a comprehensive review with financial and legal advisors, it deemed this "unsolicited and non-binding" acquisition proposal "neither credible nor attractive."

3. Polish E-commerce Platform Allegro Partners with OpenAI

Polish mainstream e-commerce platform Allegro recently announced a technical partnership with OpenAI, planning to apply generative artificial intelligence to its e-commerce ecosystem. Through this collaboration, Allegro aims to leverage OpenAI's technology models to optimize foundational functions, including improving the accuracy of search results, enhancing the quality of personalized recommendations, and upgrading the response speed of intelligent customer service.

# Merchant Circle #

1. Cross-Border E-commerce Auto Parts Giant Yangteng Innovation Rushes for IPO with Annual Revenue Exceeding RMB 4.4 Billion

On May 13, news emerged that the IPO application of cross-border e-commerce major seller Yangteng Innovation (Fujian) Information Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Yangteng Innovation") for the ChiNext board was accepted by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on April 22, 2026, and entered the inquiry stage on May 10. It is reported that Yangteng Innovation was founded in 2019, focusing on the automotive aftermarket, primarily engaged in the overseas business of its own-brand auto parts products. Products cover chassis components, engine components, body and attachment components, and electronic and electrical components. From 2023 to 2025, the company's operating revenues were approximately RMB 1.762 billion, RMB 3.271 billion, and RMB 4.44 billion, respectively; net profits attributable to shareholders were approximately RMB 111 million, RMB 296 million, and RMB 371 million, respectively.

2. 3D Printing Company Creality 3D Passes Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing Hearing; Net Profit Under Pressure, to Intensively Launch New Products in Second Half of Year

On May 12, news emerged that Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co., Ltd. has passed the Hong Kong Stock Exchange listing hearing, with China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC) as the sole sponsor. It is reported that the company submitted applications on February 21, 2025, August 13, 2025, and March 9, 2026, and officially initiated the Pre-Deal Investor Education (PDIE) session on May 12, expected to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange within this month. Public information shows that Creality 3D was founded in 2014 and operates as a global provider of consumer-grade 3D printing products and services. In 2023, 2024, and 2025, Creality 3D's operating revenues were RMB 1.883 billion, RMB 2.288 billion, and RMB 3.127 billion, respectively. Under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the corresponding net profits were RMB 129 million, RMB 89 million, and a loss of RMB 182 million, respectively. Adjusted net profit (non-IFRS) was RMB 130 million, RMB 97 million, and RMB 92 million, respectively. Creality 3D stated that the company is striving to achieve performance improvement in 2026 by advancing the commercialization of multiple developed projects, continuously expanding sales channels, and enhancing internal operational efficiency. Particularly starting from the second half of 2026, the company will intensively launch multiple new products, including a multi-nozzle multi-color intelligent 3D printer, a desktop full-color UV 3D printer, and an intelligent multi-material laser engraving machine integrating artificial intelligence and multi-axis linkage technology.

# Cross-Border Logistics #

1. DHL Express Launches AI Item Recognition Feature

DHL Express has launched an AI item recognition feature, an industry first in international express delivery. This innovative function uses advanced computer vision technology to analyze photos of items uploaded by customers, instantly generating precise and customs-compliant item descriptions, thereby simplifying one of the most complex aspects of international shipping.

2. Logistics Company Maersk Suspends New Bookings for Multiple Middle Eastern Countries and Adds Emergency Surcharges Up to $3,800 per Container

Due to escalating tensions in the Middle East and navigation risks in the Strait of Hormuz, Maersk announced on May 12 the suspension of new booking services for multiple Middle Eastern countries and Persian Gulf ports, and the addition of emergency surcharges of up to $3,800 per container for related cargo. The company stated that the current situation is highly dynamic and extremely unstable, and it is continuously assessing regional security risks, emphasizing the safety of crew, vessels, and cargo as the top priority. Despite news of a temporary U.S.-Iran ceasefire, the impact is limited, and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is not yet fully assured; it is still recommended to avoid the strait. Future decisions on resuming bookings will be based on real-time risk assessments.

# Industry Policies & Data #

1. Brazil Eliminates Federal Tax on Imported Goods Valued at $50 or Less, a Boon for Cross-Border E-commerce

Brazilian President Lula signed an executive order on May 12, eliminating the federal tax on imported goods priced at $50 or less. The industry believes this move will further reduce the cost of cross-border shopping, release local consumer demand, and is also expected to bring more growth opportunities for cross-border e-commerce platforms operating in Brazil, such as Shopee, Temu, SHEIN, and AliExpress. As one of the largest e-commerce markets in Latin America, Brazil has a population of over 200 million and has become a popular choice for cross-border expansion in recent years.

2. China-U.S. Trade Volume Drops 10.4% Year-on-Year in First Four Months of 2026, Declining for Two Consecutive Years

From January to April 2026, China-U.S. bilateral trade volume reached $179.202 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 10.4%. Of this, China's exports to the U.S. were $133.442 billion, down 10.2%; China's imports from the U.S. were $45.76 billion, down 10.9%. In April alone, bilateral trade volume was $50.454 billion, with China exporting $36.76 billion and importing $13.694 billion. Previously, the full-year China-U.S. trade volume for 2025 had already declined by 18.7% year-on-year, totaling $559.747 billion, indicating the downward trend continues.