Cross-Border E-Commerce Weekly: TikTok Shop’s Southeast Asia Traffic Reached 87% of Shopee’s in July; SHEIN Postpones Hong Kong IPO to September 1

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

# Platform Updates #

【Amazon】

1. Amazon Moves Up 2026 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Inventory Receipt Deadlines

On August 17, Amazon announced its 2026 inventory receipt schedule for the U.S. site ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. AWD (Amazon Warehousing & Distribution) inventory must arrive at warehouses by October 14; FBA inventory using the minimum shipment splitting option must arrive by October 21, while FBA inventory using Amazon’s optimized shipment splitting method must arrive by October 28. The platform noted that this year’s peak season warehouse receipt deadlines are earlier than in previous years, advising sellers to plan Q4 stocking and logistics arrangements in advance.

2. Amazon Restricts User Access to Product Reviews, Unlock Applications May Take Up to 5 Days

According to foreign media reports, Amazon has continued to see cases where users are unable to view all product reviews on the platform since 2026. Once a user triggers the restriction, only a small number of reviews are displayed on the page. To view more, users need to submit an application, and the platform notes that application results will be notified via email within a maximum of 5 working days.

Relevant official responses mentioned that the review access restriction measure is aimed at combating unauthorized data scraping on the site. The platform had previously noticed isolated cases where some users could not access reviews, and has carried out relevant work to safeguard user access rights.

3. Amazon to Launch AWD Warehousing and Distribution Service in Five European Countries

According to foreign media reports, Amazon will launch its Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD) program on its sites in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK. Positioned as a pre-warehousing service for FBA, AWD allows inventory to be automatically restocked to FBA warehouses based on demand, helping sellers solve supply chain-related challenges.

The service was first launched in the U.S. four years ago, where sellers can also use AWD to supply goods for other sales channels. No plans for similar features have been announced for the European region yet.

4. Amazon to Expand Drone Delivery to Nearly 500 U.S. Cities by End of 2026

According to foreign media reports, Amazon recently announced an expansion plan for its Prime Air drone delivery service, which will cover nearly 500 U.S. towns and cities by the end of the year, expanding the service scope by 6 times from current levels. Since the start of this year, the service has completed hundreds of thousands of deliveries, with thousands of deliveries made per day on average. During an internal all-staff meeting in March, David Carbon, Vice President of Prime Air, had set a target of completing 1 million deliveries in 2026.

Currently, Amazon drones can deliver packages weighing under 5 pounds within a 7.5-mile radius of operating points. The platform recently expanded the range of deliverable products by integrating drone operations into some robotic sorting centers. The program is testing a gentle delivery feature that uses a retractable cable to lower packages to the ground, replacing the previous method of dropping packages from a height of 13 feet. It is also testing delivery mechanisms suitable for fragile fresh goods such as eggs.

5. Amazon India’s Revenue Surpasses 3.5 Trillion Rupees, Records First Profit After 13 Years in the Market

On August 20, Amazon India reached a major financial milestone. In fiscal 2026, Amazon India’s total revenue exceeded 3.55 trillion rupees for the first time, up 15.5% year-on-year. On the basis of two consecutive years of positive EBITDA growth, the company recorded its first ever profit before interest and tax (PBIT) of 17.2 billion rupees, while after-tax loss narrowed further to 38.99 billion rupees, and operating cash flow rose to 745 billion rupees. This marks that after 13 years in the Indian market, Amazon has gradually shaken off its long-term loss-making status and entered a more stable development phase.

【TikTok】

1. TikTok Shop Europe Cross-Border POP Launches "Pilot Program" with Billions in Resource Incentives

On August 21, TikTok Shop’s European cross-border POP business officially launched its "Pilot Program", announcing the injection of 1 billion yuan worth of resource incentives to help Chinese merchants enter the UK and European markets with lower thresholds and higher efficiency.

2. TikTok Developing Peer-to-Peer Payment Function to Allow Users to Transfer Money via Private Messages

According to foreign media reports, recent information indicates that TikTok is developing a peer-to-peer payment function that allows users to transfer money to other users via direct messages. If officially launched, the function will be implemented through TikTok’s existing payment product, TikTok Pay, which is currently available in Southeast Asia for payment settlement for TikTok Shop purchases.

It is reported that relevant content for the function has appeared in the hidden code of the current U.S. version of the TikTok app for iPhone. The code mentions that recipients can click to accept funds, and senders can attach a message when initiating a transfer, with a usage logic similar to existing payment product Venmo. In response to related inquiries, TikTok mentioned that the function has not yet entered the testing phase and is still in early development, with no clear decision on whether or when it will be rolled out to the general public on a large scale.

3. TikTok Shop’s Southeast Asia Traffic Reached 87% of Shopee’s in July, Overtaking Shopee in Malaysia

On August 19, 2026 Southeast Asian e-commerce traffic monitoring data for July showed that TikTok Shop’s total visits across six markets – Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore – reached 456.89 million, up 4.1% month-on-month, equivalent to 87% of Shopee’s 524.93 million visits over the same period, narrowing the gap from 85.9% in June.

In terms of performance across individual markets, TikTok Shop’s visits in Malaysia reached 55.0515 million, surpassing Shopee’s 52 million by approximately 5.9%; in Indonesia, its visits are already close to 94.7% of Shopee’s; in Vietnam, the gap is only 2.62 million visits; in the Philippines and Singapore, its traffic reached 91.6% and 84.7% of Shopee’s respectively. Shopee still holds the advantage in the Thai market, where TikTok Shop’s traffic accounts for 53.7% of Shopee’s.

4. TikTok Shop U.S. Surpassed Traditional Retailers Such as Target in July Consumer Spending, Market Share Grew 66.7% Year-On-Year

On August 18, the latest credit and debit card transaction analysis from Consumer Edge showed that TikTok Shop U.S.’s online consumer spending in July has exceeded that of traditional retail enterprises including Target, Costco and Home Depot. The platform’s market share rose to 2% from 1.2% a year ago, representing a 66.7% year-on-year growth. While its current scale is still less than one-third of Walmart’s and significantly lower than Amazon’s 35% market share, TikTok Shop has entered the ranks of leading medium-sized e-commerce platforms in the U.S. Its growth model is shifting from "user acquisition expansion" to "high-frequency repeat purchases".

5. TikTok Shop to Mandate Disclosure of Free Sample Review Commercial Partnerships Starting August 31

On August 19, TikTok Shop announced that starting August 31, 2026, review short videos produced in exchange for free samples will be included in the scope of mandatory commercial disclosure. Even if influencers do not receive cash compensation and only receive samples in exchange for content, they must add a commercial partnership tag when publishing the video. Content that fails to be marked as required will face penalties including removal, reduced reach, and account weight deduction. The previous practice of "exchanging free samples for product recommendations without marking the partnership to gain organic traffic" will be further restricted by the platform.

【Alibaba】

1. Following Shopee but With Lighter Measures? Lazada Officially Introduces "Technical Support Fee" Across Five Country Sites

On August 19, Lazada announced that it will officially introduce a "technical support fee" for all cross-border orders in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as 3PF fulfillment orders in the Philippines, which will be automatically deducted by the system at a fixed percentage of the completed order sales.

According to the rules, the fee applies to orders created on or after August 17, 2026. All cross-border merchants on the Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam sites will be required to pay a 4% technical support fee for orders under all fulfillment models; on the Philippines site, only cross-border merchants using the 3PF fulfillment method will be required to pay 2%.

Notably, Lazada’s newly introduced "technical support fee" is undoubtedly a follow-up to Shopee’s previous actions to some extent, but it is more moderate in terms of charging scope and rate.

2. Alibaba’s Latest Earnings Report: AliExpress Achieves Profitability, Brand+ Buyer Penetration Exceeds 30%

On August 21, Alibaba released its earnings report for the quarter ended June 2026. The report showed that in the international e-commerce business, thanks to logistics optimization and improved cost efficiency, AliExpress achieved operating profitability in the quarter, with the share of local product sales continuing to rise significantly year-on-year. Over the past few quarters, AliExpress has accelerated its localization layout, with its overseas full managed service now covering more than 30 countries and regions globally. Its official European warehouses cover Spain, France and Poland, and its official German warehouse is under construction.

In addition to accelerated localization, AliExpress’s branding strategy is another major highlight. Previous earnings reports showed that AliExpress’s Brand+ program for brand overseas expansion has driven the penetration rate of active brand buyers on AliExpress to exceed 30%, while the brand GMV penetration rate during this year’s 618 shopping festival approached 40%. Launched in September 2025, the Brand+ program has become a new overseas base for a growing number of brands.

【Pinduoduo Temu】

1. Pinduoduo’s Main Site to Ramp Up Efforts in Southeast Asia? Free Shipping Threshold Lowered from 99 RMB to "Free Shipping on Every Item", Convenient Payment Channels Launched Simultaneously

According to Singaporean media reports, Pinduoduo’s main site has lowered its free shipping threshold in the Southeast Asian market from the previous "free shipping on orders over 99 RMB" to "free shipping on every item", eliminating the need for Southeast Asian consumers to purchase multiple items to meet the free shipping threshold when buying low-priced goods.

At the same time, Pinduoduo announced that it has launched PayNow, one of Singapore’s most mainstream local instant payment systems, as well as supporting various other payment methods such as credit cards and debit cards. After goods are shipped from China, the platform arranges logistics delivery to consumers, with an overall transportation time of approximately two weeks. A series of adjustments also indicate that Pinduoduo’s main site is further lowering the threshold for cross-border shopping for Southeast Asian consumers.

2. Temu Appeals 200 Million Euro DSA Fine to EU

On August 19, it was disclosed via MLex on August 18 that Temu’s operating entities PDD Holdings and Whaleco Technology have formally filed an appeal with the EU General Court against the 200 million euro (approximately 232 million U.S. dollars) fine issued by the European Commission in May. The fine alleged that as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP), the company had failed to systematically identify, assess and address systemic risks of illegal goods on the platform, including dangerous baby toys and defective chargers, since the investigation began in October 2024, violating the risk assessment obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

A Temu spokesperson responded that the company "respects clear rules but disagrees with the decision", emphasizing that the fine is excessive and the investigation is based on 2024 data that does not reflect the current state of its systems. The company is reviewing all available options, while the platform is still required to submit a rectification plan by August 28, and the European Commission will take another two months to verify the compliance closure.

【SHEIN】

1. SHEIN Postpones Hong Kong IPO to September 1, Valuation Anchored at $26 Billion-$27 Billion

On August 21, SHEIN’s Hong Kong IPO, originally scheduled to be completed by the end of August, was postponed to September 1. Sources familiar with the matter said that due to slight delays in receiving investor orders and downward adjustments to valuation expectations, the company will launch bookbuilding starting August 24, with a fundraising target of approximately 2 billion U.S. dollars and a valuation anchored at 26 billion to 27 billion U.S. dollars, significantly lower than its peak valuation of nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, and not exceeding the upper limit of 30 billion U.S. dollars.

【Other Platforms】

1. Walmart’s U.S. E-Commerce Accounts for 23% of Total Domestic Business in Q2, Tariff Refunds Boost Gross Margin Growth

Walmart recently released its earnings report for the second quarter of fiscal 2027. The company reported total revenue of 186.4 billion U.S. dollars, up 5.1% year-on-year; adjusted operating profit of 9.2 billion U.S. dollars, up 17.4% year-on-year; adjusted earnings per share of 0.81 U.S. dollars, up 19.1% year-on-year. Following the release of the report, Walmart’s stock fell more than 10% in pre-market trading.

Global e-commerce sales rose 23% year-on-year, while U.S. domestic e-commerce sales increased by 24%. E-commerce currently accounts for 23% of Walmart’s total U.S. business, double its scale five years ago. Net sales in the Chinese market reached 7 billion U.S. dollars, up 20.7% year-on-year, with comparable sales up 9.7%. China’s e-commerce net sales rose 26% year-on-year, accounting for 55% of total sales, an increase of more than 239 basis points from the same period last year, becoming the core engine of performance growth.

2. 7 of Wildberries’ Top 10 Logistics Centers Shut Down, Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Moscow Region Disrupt Russian E-Commerce Warehouse Network

On August 17, the Russia-Ukraine conflict spilled over to core e-commerce logistics nodes: after the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that Ukrainian drones launched large-scale attacks on Moscow region in the early morning of August 16, 7 of the 10 largest logistics centers owned by Russia’s largest e-commerce platform Wildberries have ceased operations. In addition to the Domodedovo warehouse, its core hub located in the Kledino industrial park, which covers an area of 250,000 square meters, has also suspended operations.

# Cross-Border Logistics #

1. Amazon Becomes First E-Commerce Tenant of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, Expands Indian Rail Network to Over 100 Cities

On August 21, Amazon recently announced the expansion of its cooperation with Indian Railways and the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), becoming the first e-commerce enterprise to operate on the first JPP-RCS train of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (Western DFC).

The newly added rail service uses more than 10 Van Parcel freight cars, operates daily, covers Delhi, Ahmedabad, Surat, and connects to regions including Pune, Mumbai and Goa. This expands Amazon’s rail transportation network from 1 train in 2019 to more than 140 trains, covering over 130 intercity routes and more than 100 cities, building up capacity reserves ahead of the upcoming Indian festive shopping season. This layout is a continuous advancement on the basis of its first use of rail express in 2019 and entry into the dedicated freight corridor in 2023.

2. DHL Launches Widebody Cargo Flight Route from Hong Kong to Navi Mumbai, India, Accelerating South Asian Freight Network Layout

On August 20, DHL Global Forwarding officially launched a chartered widebody cargo flight route from Hong Kong, China to Navi Mumbai International Airport in India. As one of the first widebody cargo flights after the opening of Navi Mumbai International Airport, the launch of this route marks DHL’s further advancement of its aviation capacity layout in the Indian market.

Relying on the location advantage and modern infrastructure of Navi Mumbai Airport, the new route will effectively alleviate the cargo pressure at Mumbai’s old airport, provide more sufficient cargo space resources and more flexible transportation timeliness for cross-border trade between Hong Kong and India, with a focus on supporting two-way transportation of electronic products, high-end manufacturing goods and high-value cross-border e-commerce goods. This layout not only further consolidates DHL’s position in the Asia-Pacific to South Asia air cargo corridor, but also provides more stable logistics connections for enterprises expanding into the Indian, Middle Eastern and African markets, promoting the continuous improvement of its global air cargo network.

# Industry Policies and Data #

1. Trump Administration Cracks Down on Tariff Evasion, Targets Chinese Goods Transshipped Through Low-Tariff Intermediate Countries

According to foreign media reports, the White House recently released a report titled "The Great Transshipment Scam", which defines the practice of transshipping Chinese goods through low-tariff intermediate countries as a deliberate operation to conceal the true country of origin of goods. The current administration’s new round of crackdown on tariff evasion may trigger broader disputes around the definition of "Made in China" in the future.

The current U.S. tariff policy has objectively prompted enterprises to adjust production and freight routes to avoid tariffs, increasing the complexity of trade law enforcement. The core difficulty of this crackdown is to clarify product origin determination standards against the backdrop of global supply chains. Once the relevant rules are adjusted, they may disrupt the existing international trade order and affect U.S. trade relations with countries and regions including China and ASEAN.

2. U.S. Customs AI Origin Verification System Reaches 95% Accuracy, $75 Billion Worth of Suspicious Goods Marked

On August 18, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in conjunction with the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, released the "The Great Transshipment Scam" report on August 13, 2026, announcing that the "Detective Border" AI origin verification system has officially entered practical application.

The system was built by supply chain AI company Exiger, and adopts a four-layer screening mechanism, including constructing enterprise ownership maps through entity resolution, comparing national production capacity and export scale through anomaly detection, verifying customs declaration information through X-ray image semantic analysis, and predicting and intercepting high-risk containers. Its prototype system has an accuracy rate of over 95%, and has so far marked approximately 75 billion U.S. dollars worth of suspicious transshipped goods. The report shows that the U.S. has divided China and more than 40 other countries and regions into three tiers based on risk levels.

This article was first published on the official website of Ebrun.