TikTok Shop US Cross-Border POP GMV Doubles in H1; SHEIN Expected to List on HKEX on September 1 | 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 US enters INFORM annual verification season, sellers report stricter reviews this year

The new round of annual verification under the INFORM Consumers Act for Amazon US is currently underway. Recently, some sellers have received verification notifications in their backends, requiring them to reconfirm information such as identity, bank accounts, tax details, phone numbers, and business addresses.

This year, some Amazon sellers have encountered issues including mismatched documents, longer review times, and system glitches during the INFORM annual verification process. Multiple related feedback posts have also appeared on Amazon's seller forums.

One seller stated that their account information has remained unchanged for years, and previous INFORM verifications were completed smoothly. However, after resubmitting documents this year, they encountered problems such as rejected documents and system errors, while continuously receiving reminders that their account may be suspended. Amazon forum staff responded that even minor differences in the text format of addresses may lead to information matching failures.

2. FBA delivery window shortened in five European countries, peak season stocking accuracy faces test

Amazon's 7-day Delivery Window policy will take effect in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. For all international FBA shipments sent to these five countries by sellers using non-Amazon partnered carriers, a 7-day estimated delivery window must be manually filled in, and goods must be delivered to the warehouse on time within the scheduled appointment period.

The core change of this regulation is that the previous 14-day delivery window has been directly halved. Previously, delivery windows were differentiated between domestic and cross-border shipments, with 7-day and 14-day windows respectively. The old rules provided ample buffer time for cross-border shipments using non-partnered carriers. The new policy treats domestic and cross-border shipments equally, which means requirements for cross-border sellers using non-partnered carriers have risen sharply.

【TikTok Shop】

1. TikTok Shop US cross-border POP GMV doubles in H1, targets "new business record" during Black Friday

At the recently held "TikTok Shop US Cross-Border POP Black Friday Conference", Ryan, General Manager of TikTok Shop US Cross-Border POP Operations, announced the platform's operating results for the first half of this year and released the core Black Friday strategy.

In H1, the overall GMV of TikTok Shop's US cross-border POP segment nearly doubled year-on-year. While leading merchants continued to expand their business scale, emerging merchants also accelerated their growth, contributing nearly 40% of the overall segment's business growth. In addition, data during promotion nodes shows even stronger explosive growth: last year's Black Friday GMV was roughly twice that of last year's mid-year promotion, while this year's mid-year promotion GMV was almost on par with last year's Black Friday level.

"Based on trial calculations from various data such as user traffic and conversion rates, combined with our substantial resource investment, we are very confident that we will achieve leapfrog growth together with merchants in the second half of the year and hit a new, higher business record," Ryan said.

2. TikTok Shop US suspends auction live streaming permissions for direct mail stores

Recently, TikTok Shop US has suspended auction live streaming permissions for stores that fulfill orders entirely via direct mail. The reason is that the "low starting bid + countdown pressure sales" model tends to amplify issues such as slow delivery and inconsistent product descriptions, driving up customer complaint rates and triggering the platform's risk control thresholds. The platform has notified merchants that fulfill 100% of their orders via direct mail to suspend auction sessions, which will be resumed after internal rules are clarified.

3. TikTok Shop fully managed Black Friday promotion season covers 16 countries for the first time

News on August 26: TikTok Shop's 2024 fully managed Black Friday promotion season will run from October to December, covering 16 countries. The eight newly opened European markets this year (Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Austria, Greece, Portugal, and Hungary) will also join TikTok Shop's Black Friday event for the first time.

【Alibaba】

1. AliExpress Brand grows 97% against the trend in the EU

Facing EU tax reforms, the latest AliExpress Brand data shows that during AliExpress's August promotion, Brand product portfolios grew 97% against the trend in the EU market. Supported by the Brand initiative, AliExpress has been less affected by tariffs in the EU.

2. AliExpress launches AI intelligent operation Agent, enabling one-click expansion into 200 new markets

On August 24, Alibaba's AliExpress officially launched the "Intelligent Operation Agent for Potential Countries and Regions", which will be open to all merchants starting September 1. This AI tool can automatically take over six key links: language adaptation, regional pricing, logistics matching, promotion registration, detail page optimization, and after-sales risk control, helping merchants enter more than 200 potential overseas markets that were previously abandoned due to operational complexity with zero thresholds.

【SHEIN】

1. SHEIN's activewear brand Glowmode launches supplier recruitment

SHEIN's active lifestyle brand Glowmode has launched supplier recruitment targeting factories, traders, and integrated manufacturing and trading enterprises. This cooperation opens up two modes: OEM and FOB.

In terms of supplier qualifications, enterprises must have independent pattern makers, be capable of pattern making based on design drawings and quality control, have exclusive pattern rooms, and experience in factory cooperation with brands. In terms of production technology, factories mastering specialized activewear processes such as lamination and laser cutting will be given priority. Meanwhile, SHEIN requires suppliers to have a complete garment production team, with separate areas for fabric inspection, cutting, sewing, and finishing, no less than 45 in-house sewing operators, and a monthly production capacity of more than 30,000 pieces.

2. SHEIN expected to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on September 1

On August 25, SHEIN (00625.HK) officially launched its global offering, with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan serving as joint sponsors and overall coordinators, and multiple institutions participating as cornerstone investors. This global offering includes approximately 280 million Class B shares, with an offer price range of HK$47.6 to HK$49.5 per share. It is expected to be listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong at 9:00 a.m. on September 1. Based on the median offer price, the net proceeds from the offering are expected to be approximately HK$13.123 billion.

【Temu】

1. Temu accelerates local supply chain layout to respond to new EU tariff regulations

To address changes in EU tariff policies, Temu recently stated that it will accelerate the construction of local warehousing and distribution infrastructure and expand local fulfillment coverage to adapt to changes in the overseas regulatory environment. The platform plans to continue introducing and supporting more high-quality local merchants, broaden local product supply, and improve platform governance and product quality. Chen Lei, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of Temu, pointed out that in the face of the continuous evolution of the global trade and regulatory landscape, the platform has a responsibility to build a shopping ecosystem that consumers can trust in the long term.

【Shopee】

1. Shopee adjusts penalty point cycles across multiple sites, shortening restriction periods

Shopee announced that starting August 31, 2026, it will adjust the seller penalty point penalty cycles for the Malaysia, Brazil, Argentina, and Taiwan sites.

For the Malaysia, Brazil, and Argentina sites, the penalty cycles for Level 1 to 3 penalties will be shortened. The penalty period for Level 1 and 2 penalties, which include prohibition from participating in promotions, ineligibility for shipping subsidies, and products not being displayed on browsing pages, will be shortened from 28 days to 14 days. The Level 3 penalty of exclusion from search results will be shortened from 28 days to 21 days. For the Taiwan site, the Level 1 and 2 penalty periods will also be shortened: the prohibition from participating in promotions will be reduced from 14 days to 7 days, and the penalty of products not being displayed on browsing pages will be shortened from 28 days to 14 days.

【Other Platforms】

1. eBay upgrades European acceleration program to help UK merchants expand into four major markets

eBay has launched the new "European Acceleration Program" (EAP), replacing the original "European Sales Booster" program, to help UK merchants expand into the four major EU markets of Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. The program automatically translates product information, converts currency prices, and synchronizes inventory through Webinterpret technology, allowing eligible stores to localize and display up to 50,000 product listings (with a cap of 10,000 per site) to European markets.

2. Ozon logistics facilities hit by drone attacks again

In the early hours of August 28, drone attacks targeted two logistics facilities of e-commerce platform Ozon located in Ufa and Orenburg. The platform stated in a statement that all employees were evacuated urgently, with no casualties or fires reported. The Orenburg warehouse has resumed operations, while the Ufa warehouse is temporarily closed for inspection due to minor damage. The Ufa logistics center has suspended receiving goods from suppliers, and already shipped goods will be transferred to other sites, with customer order processing unaffected.

3. Ozon cancels cash-on-delivery function in 38 regions to reduce return rates

Russian e-commerce platform Ozon announced that it will cancel the cash-on-delivery function in 38 regions, aiming to reduce return volumes. This measure mainly applies to orders from sellers using the FBO (Fulfillment by Ozon) model, and is one of a series of measures to support merchants affected by Ukrainian military attacks. The platform stated via its Telegram channel that this move will effectively reduce warehouse return rates.

4. Walmart Mexico Q2 revenue reaches $12.9 billion, e-commerce sales grow 16%

Recently, Walmart de México y Centroamérica (Walmex) released its financial report for the second quarter of fiscal 2026. Walmex is accelerating the layout of offline stores and digital business in Mexico. Data shows that Walmex's Q2 revenue was approximately $12.9 billion, up 3.2% year-on-year at constant exchange rates, with comparable sales in Mexico growing 1.8%. At the same time, e-commerce sales grew 16%, on-demand sales grew 21.1%, nearly 70% of online orders were delivered the same day, and nearly a quarter of orders were delivered within 2 hours.

# Merchant Community #

1. Insta360 mid-year report: net profit drops 94.15%, shipments exceed 10 million units

Intelligent imaging brand Insta360 released its semi-annual performance report for 2026. The financial report shows that in the first half of the year, the company achieved operating revenue of 5.516 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 50.29%; net profit attributable to shareholders was 30.4 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 94.15%; non-GAAP net profit also turned from profit to loss, with a loss of 15.3392 million yuan, a year-on-year decline of 103.12%. As of August 27, Insta360's share price closed at 120.71 yuan, with a total market capitalization of 48.4 billion yuan.

Regarding the reason for the decline in net profit, the financial report pointed out that it is mainly affected by the dual impact of raw material costs and phased investment in the new drone business.

In terms of raw material costs, memory chip prices continued to rise and remained high during the reporting period, posing significant challenges to product costs and putting short-term profitability under pressure. In addition, the company's strategic procurement of memory chips in the first half of the year amounted to nearly 2 billion yuan, resulting in relatively large cash outflows for procurement in H1.

2. Creality 3D reports revenue growth but net loss in H1, to launch children's dedicated printer series

Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co., Ltd. released its 2026 H1 performance report. In the first half of the year, the company achieved operating revenue of 1.626 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.9%; gross profit was 500 million yuan, a slight increase of 0.9%; net loss during the reporting period was 59.1 million yuan, adjusted net loss was 15.7 million yuan, compared with a net profit of 1.075 billion yuan in the same period last year; gross margin was 30.8%, a year-on-year decrease of 3.6 percentage points. Although Creality 3D's revenue grew in the first half of the year, costs and expenses rose faster, combined with foreign exchange losses, leading to the net profit turning into a net loss.

New product lines that Creality 3D plans to launch in the second half of this year include: the K3 multi-color 3D printer, which adopts a four-nozzle design and is equipped with multi-nozzle intelligent collaboration technology to achieve faster printing; the upgraded i8 four-color printer, which offers faster printing speed and zero waste; and a new series of children's dedicated printers, focusing on 3D printing convenience and stability for children aged 4 to 15.

# Overseas Marketing #

1. Bilibili relaunches international app, lays out global market

Recently, Chinese video platform Bilibili has relaunched its previously suspended international app, and simultaneously disclosed plans to launch an English official website and recruit personnel in core markets such as the US, Europe, and Japan.

It is reported that the revised Bilibili international app no longer requires identity verification, and users can complete registration without providing a passport or ID card, with content consistent across Chinese and US sites. Its promotional materials for creators mention that the platform will provide monetization channels for creators, connecting them with a Gen Z user base with strong consumption power and high education levels. The brand cooperation platform for international users is under development, and the English site will also be launched in the near future.

Public recruitment information shows that Bilibili is recruiting community operation personnel in cities such as Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, S?o Paulo, Istanbul, and Tokyo. Recruitment information for the Singapore region mentions that the platform is building an AI-driven global content moderation system.

2. Yandex opens new sales channels via search and AI assistant for sellers without independent websites

Yandex is testing a new service that allows sellers without independent websites to receive orders through Yandex Search and its AI assistant Alisa. This function operates based on the Yandex Commerce Protocol. Alisa can match products according to user queries and display them in card form alongside products from online stores and e-commerce platforms. Access to the service is free, and sellers only need to pay for additional fees such as delivery and payment processing.

# Logistics #

1. J&T Express 2026 H1 revenue increases 39.5%, Southeast Asia becomes core growth driver

Hong Kong-listed logistics enterprise J&T Global Express released its 2026 H1 performance report. During the reporting period, the company achieved revenue of $7.67 billion, a year-on-year increase of 39.5%, of which express business revenue was $7.46 billion, a year-on-year increase of 39.6%, and adjusted net profit doubled year-on-year to $350.6 million.

In H1, J&T's global parcel processing volume reached 17.5 billion pieces, a year-on-year increase of 25.1%. The Chinese market remains its largest source of parcel volume, contributing 11.62 billion parcels, accounting for two-thirds of the total processing volume, with a year-on-year growth rate of 9.6%. During the period, J&T's market share in China increased slightly by 0.5 percentage points to 11.6%. Parcel volume in the Southeast Asian market grew 71.2% year-on-year to 5.52 billion pieces, while parcel volume in other markets such as Latin America and the Middle East grew 119.9% year-on-year to 365 million pieces. J&T has held the largest share of the Southeast Asian express market for six consecutive years.

2. USPS 2026 peak season rates to increase by 6%, higher than last year

News on August 28: USPS announced that it will implement an average temporary price increase of 6% for multiple parcel services during the 2026 holiday peak season, covering Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and some Parcel Select services. The new rates are scheduled to take effect on October 4 and will remain in effect until January 17, 2027.

This increase is higher than the 4.9% to 5.8% increase during the 2025 holiday period. Specific increases will vary depending on service type, parcel weight, and shipping distance.

# Industry Data & Policy #

1. US e-commerce grows 12.2% in Q2, hitting five-year high

Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that e-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2026 increased 12.2% year-on-year, the fastest growth rate in nearly five years. The proportion of e-commerce in total retail sales rose to 17.1%, hitting a record high for the fourth consecutive quarter. Walmart's U.S. e-commerce sales grew 24%, its advertising business grew 38%, and Shopify's North American merchant sales grew 28%.

2. ECB: Chinese-backed cross-border e-commerce platforms are more popular in Southern Europe

A recent consumer survey by the European Central Bank (ECB) shows that Chinese e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress, Banggood, SHEIN, and Temu are significantly more popular in Southern Europe than the European average. The survey shows that 52% of euro area consumers have used Chinese e-commerce platforms at least once, with the highest usage rates in Greece, Portugal, and Spain, reaching 79%, 77%, and 69% respectively. In contrast, the usage rates in France and Germany are only 43% and 40% respectively.

3. Vietnam revises Customs Law, transit goods included in active interception scope

Recently, the Vietnamese National Assembly voted to pass the revised Customs Law, which will officially take effect on March 1, 2027. The new regulation includes goods that only transit through Vietnam and are not sold locally into the scope of active customs supervision for the first time. Customs can proactively suspend customs clearance based on risk screening to intercept infringing and counterfeit goods, without requiring an application from the rights holder. At the same time, e-commerce platforms and logistics providers are required to submit transaction and logistics data to customs, and cross-border e-commerce goods must complete customs registration and undergo AI and big data risk reviews.

4. Indonesia plans to reduce service fees by 50% for local micro and small sellers on platforms such as Shopee

Indonesia's Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises plans to sign a ministerial decree on August 24 or 25, launching a platform service fee discount of up to 50% for micro and small enterprises selling local products on e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and TikTok Shop, which is expected to take effect at the end of August. Eligible sellers must submit applications through the "SAPA UMKM" system, declare that the products sold are locally produced in Indonesia, and can enjoy the discount after passing dual verification by the government and the platform. The discount will take effect in the month following the completion of the verification.

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