Amazon Europe Sees Policy Shifts; SHEIN Expands U.S. Footprint; Xiaohongshu Steps Up Global Push | Cross-Border E-Commerce Weekly

【Ebrun Original】Amazon Europe implements major policy changes; SHEIN expands its U.S. logistics network; Xiaohongshu ramps up its global e-commerce push quietly; TikTok Shop boosts merchant recruitment in Japan.

Platform Updates

Amazon

1. Amazon’s EU monthly active reach hits 193.9 million in H1 2026, down 1.3 million year-over-year

According to Amazon’s Digital Services Act (DSA) transparency report submitted to the European Commission, the platform recorded an average monthly active service reach of 193.9 million users in the European Union in the first half of 2026, marking a drop of around 1.3 million from 195.2 million in the second half of 2025. The figure reflects the reach of its shopping services, rather than the number of actual paying buyers. Among core EU markets, Germany led with 52.8 million monthly users, followed by France (38.8 million), Italy (38.1 million), Spain (27.9 million), and the Netherlands (6.6 million).

2. Amazon to impose ?2 customs surcharge on cross-border FBA orders to the EU starting November

Amazon announced a new policy that, effective November 1, a ?2 customs processing fee will be added to cross-border Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) orders shipped from outside the EU to EU consumers, and the fee will be included in the displayed product price. The move comes after the EU implemented a ?3 per-item import tariff on cross-border parcels valued under ?150, categorized by product type, starting July 1.

3. Amazon plans to build over 1,000 same-day delivery centers by 2031

Sources reported that Amazon plans to build more than 1,000 same-day delivery centers globally by 2031, in a bid to further shorten delivery lead times and strengthen last-mile fulfillment capabilities. The move is part of Amazon’s ongoing strategy in recent years to scale up investment in logistics infrastructure. Previous internal planning documents showed that Amazon’s in-house delivery network is projected to handle approximately 88.7% of all packages in the U.S. by 2029.

TikTok

1. TikTok Shop U.S. fully rolls out shoppable image post feature for all merchants

TikTok Shop U.S. announced it has fully opened access to its shoppable image post feature, covering high-quality cross-border third-party platform (POP) merchants and creators across all product categories. The feature has gained rapid traction since its launch: between May and July this year, total GMV generated by cross-border POP shoppable image posts in the U.S. surged over 800%, making it the fastest-growing channel among merchant-created content formats. Starting September 4, the feature was made available to a group of high-tier creators, with a default commission rate set at 60% of the rate for short videos, and no requirement for sample fulfillment. This provides a new pathway for merchants to expand creator partnerships at a lower cost.

2. TikTok Shop Southeast Asia hits 1.9x year-over-year GMV growth during 9.9 Mega Sale

During the just-concluded 9.9 Mega Sale, TikTok Shop’s cross-border e-commerce business in Southeast Asia recorded GMV 1.9 times that of the same period last year. As a core growth driver of interest-based e-commerce, livestreaming and short video content in the content ecosystem delivered strong performance together. Over 1.3 million cross-border merchants and affiliate livestream rooms participated in the campaign throughout the promotion period; on September 9 alone, total livestream views exceeded 180 million. Cumulative short video views reached 1.46 billion, and short video-driven GMV on September 9 rose 80% year-over-year. High-quality content continued to penetrate user scenarios, driving cross-domain transaction growth.

3. TikTok Shop Japan cross-border POP launches “Pilot Program” to expand merchant recruitment

TikTok Shop’s cross-border POP business in Japan officially launched the “Pilot Program” recently to step up merchant recruitment. The program classifies merchants into brand merchants, strategic priority merchants, and strategic high-potential merchants based on their business scale, brand recognition, and cross-platform operation track records. It then matches different tiers of priority merchants with tailored benefits covering onboarding, content operation, and business growth needs.

TikTok Shop officially launched in Japan in June 2025. In its first year of operation, over 70% of GMV on TikTok Shop Japan was driven by content operations; as of June 2026, the platform’s user base had surged more than 30 times compared to July 2025.

SHEIN

1. SHEIN expands U.S. local fulfillment network

Less than two weeks after its public listing, SHEIN opened a new warehouse in Lebanon, Indiana. According to an official announcement, the newly launched U.S. warehouse spans 737,000 square feet, further expanding SHEIN’s footprint in Indiana. The company’s total occupied warehousing and related facilities in the state now exceed 2.5 million square feet. In 2025, the U.S. abolished the previous “de minimis” duty exemption for imported goods valued under $800, leading to higher tariffs and fulfillment costs for direct cross-border small parcel shipping. SHEIN’s expansion of the Indiana warehouse is part of its push to strengthen local fulfillment capabilities against this policy backdrop.

2. SHEIN’s semi-managed model launches in Poland

SHEIN officially rolled out its semi-managed model in Poland in mid-September, kicking off its first round of seller recruitment. This marks another new market for SHEIN’s semi-managed business in Europe, following its launch in five core European markets (Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Spain).

Under the semi-managed model, sellers can independently select products, stock inventory in local overseas warehouses, and fulfill orders to consumers on their own, while the platform retains pricing power, supports sellers with store operations, and provides traffic incentives and marketing support. For the newly launched Poland site, sellers can either fulfill orders from warehouses in Poland or use inventory stored in other EU countries, and can operate across Germany, France, Italy, and Spain under a single unified account to enable pan-European joint operations.

Other Platform Updates

1. Xiaohongshu’s global e-commerce platform Redshop to charge 10% service fee to merchants

Xiaohongshu released a draft solicitation for public comment on the newly added “Rules for Service Fees for Redshop Global Pilot Merchants”, planning to charge a separate overseas service fee to merchants participating in its Global Pilot Program starting September 16. Under the rules, the service fee is calculated based on the category of each item in an order. The fee schedule covers multiple categories including apparel, beauty, home goods, consumer electronics, pet supplies, outdoor sports, cultural and creative products, and handicrafts. The majority of top-level categories carry a 10% service rate. Among them, two sub-categories — “handmade/DIY crafts” and “collectible cards” — are set at a 5% rate, while “anime merchandise and peripherals”, “doll clothing”, and “cotton dolls” carry an 8% rate.

2. Shopee launches “New Channel Program” to target content e-commerce sellers

Shopee rolled out the “New Channel Program” for high-quality sellers with experience in content e-commerce operations, offering incentives including commission waivers, advertising credit subsidies, and traffic support to attract merchant onboarding. Shopee officials noted that for sellers focused on Southeast Asian content e-commerce, viral hit products can drive short-term growth, while shelf e-commerce can further capture search traffic, user reviews, and high repurchase rates to improve operational resilience.

3. Alibaba International’s AI agent Accio to integrate DHL Global Forwarding capabilities

DHL Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba International, under which the two parties plan to explore integrating DHL Global Forwarding’s freight quote, solution evaluation, and booking capabilities into Accio, Alibaba International’s AI-powered agent, to serve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in international trade.

In the future, after merchants identify products and suppliers via Accio, they will be able to access DHL shipping quotes, compare freight solutions, and complete booking directly. The previously offline, fragmented freight process will be consolidated into a single AI-powered entry point. For Alibaba International, the partnership adds global freight execution capabilities; for DHL, it delivers tangible order growth from SME customers.

Global Brand Expansion News

1. Midea advances construction of five overseas supply chain delivery centers

On September 15, Midea held its 2026 semi-annual earnings briefing, disclosing its first-half operating data and upcoming business plans. In terms of overseas localization, Midea is pushing forward the construction of five overseas supply chain delivery centers in Thailand, Egypt, Indonesia, Brazil, and Vietnam, covering core regions including Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America.

In Southeast Asia, Midea will accelerate capacity expansion at its residential air conditioner factory in Thailand, and optimize existing manufacturing capacity in Indonesia and Vietnam. In the Middle East and Africa, it will complete the construction and launch of its residential air conditioner factory in Saudi Arabia and its refrigerator and microwave/oven factory in Egypt to fill supply gaps for core product categories in the region. In the Americas, it will start construction of a washing machine factory in Mexico. In Europe, it will advance the integration of TEKA factories to optimize home appliance capacity layout. Going forward, Midea will adjust the operational mechanism for its overseas own-brand business to implement localized operations.

2. Pop Mart opens first European flagship store in Paris

Local time on September 12, Pop Mart launched its first European flagship store on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris. The street is one of Paris’s most iconic retail and cultural destinations, adjacent to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores, and home to stores of many world-leading fashion brands.

Pop Mart reported revenue of 510 million yuan from Europe and other regions in the first half of 2026, up 5.9% year-over-year. While the brand’s overall expansion in the European market remains in the early stage, the opening of the Paris flagship store marks a key strategic move for Pop Mart in the region.

3. Insta360 identifies paid negative review campaign on Amazon, reports organized “astroturfing” ring to police

On September 17, Insta360’s legal department issued a statement noting that the company had recently suffered another organized online astroturfing attack, with a large number of fake accounts posting coordinated false information across multiple platforms. “We have secured relevant evidence and will continue to pursue legal accountability,” the statement said.

Insta360 noted that after receiving reports in 2025, it discovered an organized campaign to post malicious fake negative reviews for its products sold on Amazon, and promptly filed a report with public security authorities. Police investigations ultimately dismantled the related illicit grey-market ring, with three criminal suspects placed under criminal detention. The mastermind behind the campaign was identified as an executive at a peer company, who allegedly recruited personnel through the grey-market network to post fake negative reviews at a rate of 200 to 300 yuan per post.

Cross-Border Service Provider Updates

1. Grab acquires 60% controlling stake in BNPL platform Atome

Southeast Asian ride-hailing and food delivery platform Grab announced it will acquire a 60% equity stake in Singapore-based buy now, pay later (BNPL) financial platform Atome Financial for $1.49 billion in cash. Atome is the consumer finance business of Advance Intelligence Group. As of the end of June this year, Atome had a loan book of approximately $1 billion, 25 million cumulative transacting users, and partnerships with over 30,000 brands.

2. OSSOT files for Hong Kong IPO, targets “first cross-border compliance AI stock” listing

Shenzhen OSSOT Holding Co., Ltd. (referred to as “OSSOT”) submitted its listing application to the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. OSSOT’s business covers four major segments: fiscal and tax compliance, environmental compliance, product testing and certification, and intellectual property protection, with seven service lines including VAT, EPR, carbon compliance, TIC testing, and intellectual property services. It leverages an “AI + API + RPA” technology stack to build a one-stop compliance cloud platform. According to data from CIC, OSSOT was the world’s and China’s largest cross-border e-commerce compliance service provider by 2025 sales revenue, with sales exceeding the combined total of the second to eighth largest market players in China.

Trade Policy & Data

1. U.S. Customs and Border Protection steps up importer information verification

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) further strengthened verification of importer of record (IOR) information starting September 18. If businesses submit inaccurate customs information including phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses, CBP may revoke their import eligibility. CBP is currently conducting a full review of archived records, and cross-border sellers and importers are advised to verify and update relevant information in a timely manner.

2. EU proposes “European Product Act” to tighten regulation of low-value cross-border e-commerce goods

According to a leaked draft reviewed by Euronews, the European Commission is drafting new legislation, the European Product Act, expected to be released on October 6. The core of the bill is to address gaps in market supervision and enforcement, with a focus on cracking down on irregularities related to low-value goods imported via cross-border e-commerce. The new regulation will require all overseas products circulating in the EU to have an EU-based importer or authorized representative taking legal responsibility, closing loopholes that allow overseas sellers to evade regulation. It will also upgrade the centralized supervision system and introduce a new fee mechanism for cross-border product regulation.

3. EU tariff policy leads to over 50% drop in low-value parcel volume from China

Since the EU’s new ?3 per-parcel import tariff on small parcels took effect in July, the volume of small parcels entering the bloc via Belgium and the Netherlands — two major entry points — has declined significantly. In July, small parcels from China arriving at Liège Airport in Belgium fell 53% year-over-year, compared to an average monthly volume of around 153 million parcels in the first half of the year. In the Netherlands, the volume of individual parcels from China dropped 46%. Belgium and the Netherlands together handle around half of all low-value parcels entering the EU, making their data a key indicator for observing policy impacts.

4. Ukraine proposes 20% VAT on all overseas online purchases

On September 17, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved the first reading of bills No. 16051-1 and No. 15460 with 273 votes in favor, proposing to abolish the existing de facto tax exemption for overseas online purchases under 150 euros, and impose a 20% value-added tax on all goods purchased via platforms including AliExpress, Temu, Amazon, eBay, and SHEIN.

5. U.S. 2026 holiday retail sales to reach $1.7 trillion, e-commerce outpaces overall growth

Deloitte released its latest forecast: U.S. holiday retail sales from November 2026 to January 2027 are projected to reach $1.70 trillion to $1.71 trillion, representing year-over-year growth of 4.0% to 4.8%. Of this total, e-commerce retail sales are expected to rise 7.5% to 8.4% year-over-year to $316.1 billion to $318.9 billion, with growth significantly outpacing overall retail sales.

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