TikTok Shop US Cross-Border POP Launches Emerging Merchant Acceleration Program; MercadoLibre Q2 Revenue Up 50% YoY | Cross-Border E-Commerce Weekly

Original report by Ebrun. Here are the key developments in the cross-border e-commerce sector over the past week:

# Platform Updates

Amazon

1. Amazon MCF rolls out 12-month shipping fee discount for TikTok US orders

Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) has launched a 12-month exclusive fee reduction policy for orders from TikTok Shop US. Eligible orders will benefit from a 35% cut in delivery fees. The discount applies automatically without requiring manual sign-up from sellers, but only covers TikTok Shop channel orders identified and tagged by Amazon-authorized integration service providers. Orders manually created by sellers through the MCF backend are excluded from the offer, and sellers must accurately submit order channel field information to qualify for the shipping fee deduction. This policy enables TikTok US sellers to leverage Amazon's warehousing and distribution network to process cross-channel orders at lower costs.

2. Amazon launches AI-powered automatic translation feature for product images

Amazon has announced the rollout of an automatic product image translation tool, which uses AI technology to help sellers automatically convert text-containing product images into language versions preferred by local consumers, aiming to improve product information display performance in cross-border sales. The feature currently covers 13 marketplaces including the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Ireland, Sweden and the UK, and is available to all non-media product sellers in these markets. Translated product images will be displayed on product detail pages and in the Image Manager.

3. Amazon releases new product display rule: AI-generated portrait content must include specified metadata

Amazon has updated its content usage rules for product displays across global marketplaces, introducing new labeling requirements for images and videos containing photorealistic AI-generated portraits. The rule is introduced in compliance with recently enacted advertising industry legislation, which mandates disclosure when photorealistic AI-generated portraits appear in advertising content.

Before uploading product images, lifestyle photos, product videos or A+ Content, merchants whose content includes photorealistic AI-generated portraits must use an IPTC-compatible metadata editor to add the keyword "contains-synthetic-performer" to the file's dc:subject, or XMP, field. After receiving properly labeled content, Amazon will add a prompt at the corresponding position to inform consumers that the content includes AI-generated portraits.

4. Amazon's AI seller assistant adds Buy Box diagnostic feature

Amazon recently upgraded its AI seller assistant in Seller Central, adding a "Why didn't I get the Buy Box?" diagnostic tool. Sellers can submit up to 10 ASINs in a single conversation and directly ask "Why am I not the featured offer for this ASIN?". The system will analyze the reasons for failing to obtain the Buy Box from four dimensions: product purchasability, price gap, delivery speed and regional coverage. For product purchasability, the system will evaluate the completeness of product information and sales restriction status; for price gap, it will compare the current offer with the winning Buy Box price; for delivery speed, it will analyze the difference between promised delivery time and actual logistics performance; for regional coverage, it will check supply and delivery status across different regions and generate corresponding optimization suggestions.

5. Amazon invests over ?300 million to expand German logistics center

Amazon announced it will invest more than ?300 million to expand its logistics center in the southwestern German city of Pforzheim, to increase warehousing capacity and expand local headcount. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2029, when the number of employees at the logistics center will more than double from the current 1,000+ to over 2,000.

The expansion will not only adjust the facility's area and staffing scale, but also upgrade warehouse functions. Currently, the logistics center mainly stores medium-sized goods such as diaper packs and game consoles. After the renovation, the warehouse will be converted to a facility storing both small and medium-sized products, including USB storage devices, electric irons and other items.

TikTok

1. TikTok Shop US Cross-Border POP launches Emerging Merchant Acceleration Program: $1 billion in resources to support four categories of merchants

TikTok Shop US Cross-Border POP recently launched the "Emerging Cross-Border Merchant Acceleration Program", announcing $1 billion in new seller support resources. The program is open for recruitment to four categories of high-potential overseas sellers: content-focused sellers, established strength sellers, brand distributors and factory-origin sellers, aiming to help newly settled merchants hit an annual sales target of $1 million within 90 days.

2. Disney partners with TikTok to open IP access for creators to make short videos

According to foreign media reports, The Walt Disney Company and TikTok recently announced a partnership that allows platform creators to produce short videos based on content from Disney's franchises including Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar. Related content can be uploaded and distributed on both TikTok and Disney+. The collaboration is described as the first of its kind in the industry, with the first batch of features to be rolled out to US users in the coming months, before gradually expanding to more countries.

3. TikTok Shop launches support program for small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan

TikTok Shop announced the official launch of the "Japan SOAR Together" digital support program for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan. Based on TikTok Shop's global SME support program "SOAR Together (Supporting Our Artisans and Retailers Together)", the initiative aims to help manufacturers, entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized operators across Japan improve their digital operation capabilities and accelerate the transition to online business models.

Pinduoduo Temu

1. Temu joins European cross-border commerce organization CB Commerce to accelerate integration into local e-commerce ecosystem

Temu has officially joined CB Commerce, a Brussels-headquartered European cross-border commerce organization, becoming one of its newest members. CB Commerce brings together EU retailers, e-commerce platforms and industry partners. Going forward, Temu will participate in the organization's business acceleration projects, carry out deeper cooperation with local European seller communities, and open up relevant settlement resources to support the development of the regional e-commerce ecosystem. Temu stated that the European market is a key focus of its long-term strategic layout. By joining CB Commerce as an industry communication platform, Temu plans to further strengthen continuous communication with European industry players, more accurately adapt to EU cross-border commercial regulations and consumer market environments, and advance localized operations on a compliance basis. In addition, Temu also hopes to provide European small and medium-sized sellers with a new channel to connect with global consumers.

Other Platforms

1. Ozon Q2 revenue rises 47% YoY to 334.2 billion rubles

Ozon recently released its unaudited financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026. In the second quarter, Ozon's revenue increased 47% year-on-year to 334.2 billion rubles, mainly driven by growth in service revenue. The group recorded a net profit of 10.1 billion rubles in the period. Driven by revenue growth and the company's cost control measures, the group's gross profit increased by 22.4 billion rubles year-on-year to 79.9 billion rubles. In the second quarter of 2026, gross margin (as a percentage of turnover) remained flat year-on-year at 6.1%. The group's adjusted EBITDA increased by 18.7 billion rubles year-on-year to 57.9 billion rubles, mainly due to gross profit growth. Adjusted EBITDA margin (as a percentage of revenue including GMV and service revenue) rose 0.3 percentage points year-on-year to 4.4%.

2. Shopee Malaysia adjusts commission rates for local Marketplace sellers

Shopee Malaysia's local Marketplace seller commission system has undergone multiple adjustments. Effective August 14, 2026, the platform will update its commission rate schedule based on product category clusters. Orders for textbooks and workbooks listed in the Malaysian Ministry of Education (KPM) catalog will be eligible for a fixed 3% commission rate reduction, a policy only applicable to non-Mall local Marketplace sellers.

In addition, starting August 1, new sellers will begin paying commissions after their first product has been listed for more than 120 days or they have completed more than 200 cumulative orders (whichever comes first), marking the end of the platform's previous early commission-free protection period. Meanwhile, the zero or reduced commission policy for more than 100 daily essential product categories (including rice, flour, oil, salt, eggs, dairy, meat, seafood, etc.) implemented since May 21 will remain in effect.

3. Walmart completes acquisition of streaming ad platform Vibe.co for $1.4 billion

Walmart recently announced the completion of its acquisition of self-serve streaming TV advertising platform Vibe.co. The deal was first disclosed in June 2026, and upon completion, Vibe.co will be integrated into Walmart's connected TV advertising platform Walmart Connect. Previous market reports indicated the acquisition consideration was $1.4 billion.

Vibe.co's platform enables small and medium-sized brands to run streaming TV ads across multiple content distributor channels. By integrating Vibe.co's platform capabilities, Walmart will further expand its connected TV advertising business and add new touchpoints to reach consumers.

4. MercadoLibre Q2 revenue hits $10.169 billion, up 50% YoY, marking fastest growth in nearly four years

MercadoLibre's total net revenue and financial revenue for the second quarter of 2026 reached $10.169 billion, up 50% year-on-year, the fastest growth rate in nearly four years. Among them, revenue from the Brazilian market increased 59%, Mexico 55%, and Argentina 20%. During the same period, gross merchandise value (GMV) reached $21.9 billion, up 44% year-on-year; total payment volume (TPV) exceeded $101 billion, up 56% year-on-year.

5. Wildberries cuts Chinese seller store registration fees by 95%, possibly linked to warehouse attacks

Russian cross-border e-commerce platform Wildberries recently announced a significant reduction in store registration fees for Chinese sellers. Previously, a one-time non-refundable fee of 10,000 yuan was charged for the first store, with 3,000 yuan required for each subsequent store under the same entity for the 2nd to 10th stores. Now, when selecting mainland China, Macau or Hong Kong as the region on the registration page, the license fee for the first and all subsequent stores has been reduced to 500 yuan. The platform has clarified that the offer is valid until August 31, with each seller allowed to open a maximum of 10 accounts.

This means the first store fee has been cut by as much as 95%, while fees for other stores have been reduced by more than 83%. This fee reduction is the largest ever since Wildberries entered the Chinese market. External analysts suggest the sharp cut in entry fees may be related to recent frequent Ukrainian drone attacks on Wildberries warehouses.

6. Shopify Q2 GMV exceeds $115.5 billion, up 31.5%

Shopify announced its results for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 ended June 30, 2026. Gross merchandise value (GMV) was $115.567 billion, up 31.5% from $87.837 billion in the same period in 2025. Total revenue was $3.583 billion, up 34.0% from $2.680 billion in the same period in 2025; on a constant currency basis, it rose 33% year-on-year.

7. eBay live commerce Q2 GMV up 8x YoY, set to expand to more international markets

In the second quarter of 2026, GMV of eBay's live shopping business eBay Live in its 7 launched markets grew approximately 8 times year-on-year, with viewership, watch time and quantity of goods sold all rising synchronously. eBay management revealed during the Q2 earnings call that the growth performance of the live commerce business has strengthened its confidence in the sector, as live streaming can deepen user engagement, broaden product discovery paths and improve product turnover speed across the entire platform.

Operating data shows that more than 90% of sellers who stream regularly have achieved GMV growth, and sellers using the live streaming feature have approximately 3 times the sales of those who do not. Consumers purchasing collectibles through live shopping for the first time spent approximately 70% more than similar non-live shoppers, with about half of the additional spending occurring outside of live streaming scenarios.

# Seller Community

1. Insta360's first Japanese direct-operated store to open on August 8

Insta360 announced on social media that it will open a direct flagship store in Japan. The flagship store had a soft opening on July 25 and will officially open on August 8, marking Insta360's first brand store in Japan. Insta360 will also become the first Chinese imaging brand to open a direct flagship store in Japan.

The store is located near Tokyo's Senso-ji Temple, a famous local attraction that receives more than 30 million visitors annually. The store features a large 3D model of Senso-ji Temple, allowing customers to test the full range of Insta360 products. Since the soft opening on July 25, it has attracted numerous tourists to visit and experience the products. On the opening day, Japan's national IP character Hello Kitty will make an appearance as "one-day store manager" and participate in related activities.

2. "Songshu Dongli" completes over 200 million yuan Series A financing

Outdoor travel hard technology enterprise "Songshu Dongli" recently completed a Series A financing round of over 200 million yuan. Investors include Yuanhe Puhua, Yuanhe Houwang, Houxue Capital, GSR United Capital, Paradise Silicon Valley, ThunderSoft, Guangyuan Hesheng Fund, Butong Capital, Shenqi Capital, Living Water Capital and Chunjia Capital, among other industrial capitals and professional financial institutions. The funds will be mainly invested in the automotive-grade in-depth verification and R&D testing of the Evotrex-PG5 whole vehicle, accelerate production line construction and capacity expansion, and comprehensively expand manufacturing capabilities to ensure the smooth achievement of the mass delivery target in 2027.

# Cross-Border Logistics

1. Cainiao launches "Global 3-Day Delivery": 72-hour door-to-door service further accelerates cross-border logistics efficiency

On August 5, Cainiao Group officially released its "Global 3-Day Delivery" cross-border logistics service product in Shenzhen. From the previous "Global 10-Day Delivery" to the "Global 5-Day Delivery" launched three years ago, and now to the "Global 3-Day Delivery", Cainiao has turned the vision of "72-hour door-to-door delivery worldwide" into reality.

The "Global 3-Day Delivery" promise applies not only to routes from China to the rest of the world, but also for cross-border shipments between global markets. On 15 core cross-border routes including China to Europe, routes between Pan-European countries, and routes between Middle Eastern countries, Cainiao has already achieved door-to-door delivery within 3 natural days after consumers place orders.

2. DHL Q2 revenue reaches ?22.4 billion, up 13% YoY

DHL Group achieved double growth in revenue and profit in the second quarter of 2026, with revenue rising 13% year-on-year to ?22.4 billion, earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increasing 30% year-on-year to ?1.9 billion, and profit margin improving to 8.3%. During the same period, the company's free cash flow (excluding mergers and acquisitions) reached ?569 million, up 72.8% year-on-year; net profit was ?1 billion, up 23.9% year-on-year; basic earnings per share reached ?0.91. The performance growth was mainly driven by the recovery of express delivery volumes, a positive contribution of approximately ?150 million from tight international air freight capacity, fuel cost pass-through, and cost optimization promoted by the "Fit for Growth" program.

# Industry Policies and Data

1. US eFiling new policy takes effect: From random inspection during customs clearance to pre-clearance declaration, cross-border product compliance supervision is fully tightened

In early July, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) officially implemented mandatory eFiling electronic submission requirements. Under the new regulation, the submission of product compliance certification information has been moved forward from random inspection during customs clearance to electronic declaration completion before customs clearance. Importers who fail to declare according to regulations may face cargo detention, high fines, return shipments and other consequences.

Questions including which products require testing, certification and declaration, and how products originally shipped via the "double clearance tax included" channel should be handled were hot topics in the cross-border e-commerce seller community before the policy took effect, as sellers face pressures including increased compliance operation costs and delayed order delivery times. Platforms including Amazon, Walmart, TikTok Shop and Temu have also updated their compliance rules to urge sellers to complete registration.

2. Eight Indonesian e-commerce platforms launch 0.5% income tax withholding policy

Effective August 1, 2026, four major Indonesian e-commerce platforms including Shopee, Tokopedia, Lazada and Blibli will uniformly implement the Article 22 Income Tax (PPh 22) withholding policy, directly withholding tax at 0.5% of the seller's total turnover, which does not include value-added tax and luxury goods tax.

Although the overall tax rate is low, since the tax is calculated based on operating revenue rather than profit, the impact on low-margin sellers is more significant. For example, for a seller of electronic products with a turnover of 10 million Indonesian rupiah and a net profit margin of 5%, the tax burden accounts for 10% of profits; while for a clothing seller with a net profit margin of 30%, the tax burden only accounts for 1.67% of profits.