Cross-Border E-Commerce Weekly: Amazon Bans Muse; TikTok Shop Expands in Europe; AliExpress Launches AI Agents for Smart Operations

【Ebrun Original】Amazon bans Muse; TikTok Shop doubles down in Europe; AliExpress fully rolls out AI agents for smart operations.

Platform News

Amazon

1. Amazon Launches Virtual Identity Verification Mechanism: Sellers Failing Video Verification Face Sales Suspension

Amazon has officially rolled out a virtual identity verification mechanism, initiating video verification for sellers with questionable identity status. Receiving a virtual identity verification notice does not imply account violations, but the grace period is typically only 14 days, with some accounts having no grace period at all. Failure to complete verification within the specified timeframe will result in immediate suspension of selling privileges. The system will send a reminder email again on the 7th day.

2. Amazon Blocks Meta's AI Agent Muse

On September 20, 2026 (US time), Amazon officially blocked Meta's AI agent Muse from making purchases on behalf of users on its site. Amazon stated that Meta has no cooperation agreement with Amazon, Muse does not proactively disclose its AI identity during site browsing, and appears to obtain and store user login credentials, posing privacy and security risks.

TikTok

1. TikTok Shop Opens Local Managed Model Recruitment in Four EU Countries

TikTok Shop has officially opened recruitment for its local managed model to merchants across all categories in four EU countries: Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Merchants registered in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, or the four EU countries can directly apply for onboarding via the official website, replacing the previous invitation-only system.

2. TikTok Shop Southeast Asia Upgrades 'Ship from Malaysia to Singapore' Logistics Service; Lowers Threshold for Special Incentives

Addressing merchant pain points in new markets—such as high standalone inventory and fulfillment costs, and high barriers to trial—TikTok Shop's cross-border e-commerce arm in Southeast Asia has upgraded its 'Ship from Malaysia to Singapore' (referred to as 'Ship from MY to SG') logistics service and support policies. Post-upgrade, the service covers official certified warehouses in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, third-party warehouses, and merchants' own warehouses. Merchants can leverage existing Malaysia inventory to fulfill Singapore orders directly.

3. TikTok Shop Pours Billion-Level Resources to Accelerate Batch Push of Chinese Sellers into European Market

At TikTok Shop's European cross-border POP Black Friday conference, the platform launched the 'Pioneer Program,' investing billion-level resources to rapidly fill gaps in product, content, and merchant supply across European markets. In merchant support, new sellers during the 60–90 day incentive period see commissions reduced from the standard 9%–15% down to 2%–8%. Growth-stage merchants can access monthly incubation resource packs valued up to 6,700 RMB, with support lasting up to 30 days. Mature merchants joining the JBP program can receive a 2.5% cash commission rebate, capped at 3.3 million RMB per merchant per quarter, along with 1-on-1 dedicated operational guidance. In compliance services, the platform bundles EU GPSR authorized representative, EPR (packaging, battery, WEEE) services into exclusive pricing, with service providers proactively reaching out within 1–2 business days.

Alibaba

1. AliExpress Fully Launches Smart Operations Agent for AI Managing 200+ Potential Countries and Regions

AliExpress has fully rolled out its smart operations agent for potential countries and regions, allowing merchants to use AI to take over operations in over 200 potential countries and regions, generating pure incremental sales beyond main markets. This smart operations agent is the core product of AliExpress's 'One Person, One Country' solution. Merchants only need to opt in, and AI will automatically manage daily operations across 200+ potential countries and regions, including auto-translation and optimization of product listings, automatic enrollment in promotional events, and automatic matching of optimal logistics routes.

2. Taobao Announces Double 11 Global Sales Playbook: Free Shipping Across 13 Countries and Regions

Taobao has unveiled its new overseas playbook for Double 11 this year, with campaigns launching simultaneously across 20 global markets, involving over 1.2 million merchants. During the campaign, Taobao will offer free shipping in 13 countries and regions, with 'zero-threshold free shipping' in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Singapore, and Malaysia. Meanwhile, overseas-bound products have expanded from small lightweight items to medium and large items like furniture and home renovation materials, with over 90% of medium-to-large items eligible for direct overseas shipping.

3. Lazada Releases 9.9 Campaign Results: Orders Above $100 Contribute Nearly 60% of GMV

Lazada's 2026 9.9 Mega Brands Sale data shows that orders of $100 and above contributed nearly 60% of GMV. In Singapore, this proportion was about three-quarters, while Thailand and Malaysia both hit 60%, driving overall average order value up nearly 50% year-on-year.

Temu

1. Temu Partners with ChannelEngine to Simplify Operations for European and US Sellers

Temu has entered a strategic partnership with ChannelEngine, a global multi-platform integration automation service provider, offering sellers streamlined operations management solutions and helping them expand into international markets. The cooperation primarily covers Europe but also targets sellers in global markets including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico. Through system integration, sellers using ChannelEngine services can directly connect to Temu's platform infrastructure, managing product listings and daily operations across multiple regions from a single interface.

2. Temu's Rapid Rise in Europe: Within Three Years, Ranked in Top 10 Online Retailers in Multiple Countries

According to ECDB research data (based on 2025 figures), since entering the European market in 2023, Temu has climbed into the top 10 online retailers in several European countries within just three years, taking the top spot in markets like Croatia, Finland, Hungary, and Slovenia, while also ranking among the leaders in France, Portugal, Norway, Austria, and others.

More

1. Shopify Integrates Meta's AI Assistant Muse for AI-Powered Shopping

Shopify has partnered with Meta, allowing Meta's AI personal assistant Muse to browse Shopify seller stores and complete product purchases and payments on behalf of users. This collaboration is powered by Shop Pay, Shopify's one-click payment service. Users can search for products within Muse and complete checkout directly, without needing to visit individual merchant online stores.

2. SHEIN Extends Year-End Sales Event to Over Two Months, Entering Peak Season Mode

SHEIN has set its year-end sales period for 2026 from October 19 to December 27, spanning over two months and covering major promotional milestones including Double 11, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Double 12. To help merchants boost business, SHEIN says it will invest substantial subsidies, traffic support, and a range of initiatives.

3. Whatnot Introduces Tiered Commission Structure: High-Volume Sellers Pay as Low as 3%

This week, US livestream e-commerce platform Whatnot officially launched a new tiered commission structure. The rules take effect for existing sellers first, with new sellers subject to corresponding standards one week later. Sellers do not need to apply or enroll; the platform calculates cumulative sales from completed orders across all categories on a 28-day cycle, automatically matching the appropriate commission tier. Higher sales volumes translate to lower commission rates, with the minimum across all categories set at 3%.

4. YouTube Upgrades AI Conversational Search, Bolstering Video Shopping Scenarios

YouTube's AI-powered conversational search feature, Ask YouTube, is adding shopping assistance capabilities to further advance its video shopping track. The feature supports natural language queries, handling requests far more complex and nuanced than traditional search, consolidating results from Shorts and long-form videos. Post-upgrade, users searching for specific products will receive structured recommendations, including comparison tables of product attributes and categories tailored to user preferences. Users can also ask follow-up questions directly on the video viewing page.

Major Brand Globalization Events

1. Roborock's Overseas Revenue Exceeds 60% of Total; Ranked #1 in Global Robot Vacuum Market for Three Consecutive Years

In the first half of 2026, Roborock's overseas revenue reached 6.073 billion RMB, accounting for over 60% of total revenue, making overseas markets its core revenue source. According to IDC's market data for H1 2026, Roborock has held the #1 position globally in both unit sales and revenue in the robot vacuum market for three consecutive years.

2. Insta360 Opens First US Flagship Store in New York's Times Square

Insta360 has officially opened its first US flagship store at 151 Broadway, Times Square, New York. This marks the company's first flagship store outside Asia and a landmark step in intensifying its overseas retail presence.

3. Tineco Launches Service Agent TineCare

Floor cleaner brand Tineco has launched its TineCare service brand. TineCare is a post-sales appliance Agent that exists as a mobile app. Upon unboxing, the moment users plug in the device, the TineCare agent proactively steps in, guiding users through assembly, charging, adding clean water, emptying dirty water, and daily maintenance tips via voice interaction and image/video pushes. If the device malfunctions, users can initiate fault diagnosis with one tap in the Tineco app, receiving a diagnostic report within 30 seconds. If users cannot resolve issues independently, they can also file a repair request via the app.

Cross-Border Service Provider Highlights

1. Google Cross-Border E-Commerce Acceleration Center Lands in Hangzhou, Fourth in China and First in the Yangtze River Delta

Google has established a cross-border e-commerce acceleration center in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou. This is the fourth such center in China's domestic layout and the first in the Yangtze River Delta, following previous centers in Xiamen, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. The center provides localized support services for cross-border e-commerce enterprises, ranging from platform tool usage to overseas business capability building.

2. Cainiao and 4PX Upgrade Cross-Border Parcel Service from China to the UK

Cainiao, in partnership with 4PX, has upgraded its cross-border parcel service from China to the UK. Building on the existing global 3-day delivery commitment, it has officially introduced a 'late = full refund' mechanism: if a parcel is not delivered within 3 calendar days, the platform will proactively initiate 100% compensation without sellers needing to apply. The core of this upgrade is Cainiao integrating trunk transportation, customs clearance, last-mile sorting, and compensation rules into a unified commitment, advancing cross-border logistics competition from approximate speed to a phase where late deliveries trigger automatic payouts.

3. Alibaba Cloud Expands Global Footprint Again

At the 2026 Apsara Conference, Alibaba Cloud announced it will establish cloud Regions for the first time in Turkey, Finland, and the Netherlands within the next 12 months, while expanding data centers in Malaysia, Germany, UAE, France, and Hong Kong SAR. Currently, Alibaba Cloud operates 107 availability zones across 31 regions globally. Additionally, Alibaba Cloud stated it will upgrade AI products such as Smart Fusion and Smart Video for international markets.

Trade Policy and Data

1. H1 Cross-Border E-Commerce Imports and Exports Reach 1.45 Trillion RMB

At the State Council Information Office press conference for the Canton Fair, Yang Tao, Director of the Ministry of Commerce's Foreign Trade Department, revealed key cross-border e-commerce data: new foreign trade business formats have seen simultaneous growth in volume and quality this year, with H1 cross-border e-commerce imports and exports reaching 1.45 trillion RMB. New models like overseas warehouses are accelerating in parallel, and AI penetration in cross-border e-commerce continues to rise. According to institutional estimates, AI adoption among cross-border e-commerce enterprises has exceeded 60%.

2. EU Launches Customs Registration for Chinese Alkaline Batteries, Anti-Dumping Duties Could Reach Up to 134%

The EU has initiated customs registration for imports of alkaline manganese dioxide primary cells and batteries (HS code 8506 10 11) originating in China, effective from September 16, 2026, for a registration period of 9 months, lasting until mid-June 2027. If a final affirmative determination is made, anti-dumping duties may be applied retroactively to all imports during the registration period. The estimated duty rate range is between 9% and 134%, with dumping margins estimated at 20% to 219%.

3. Malaysia Advances Draft E-Commerce Bill, Platform Licensing System Under Discussion

Malaysia is advancing updates to its e-commerce regulatory framework, planning to replace the outdated 2006 regulations with a new bill. Armizan Mohd Ali, Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, stated that the policy for replacing the old law has been approved, aiming to complete the draft of the E-Commerce Bill within this year. Key legislative priorities include regulatory responsibility allocation, platform oversight mechanisms, and whether to introduce a licensing system for major e-commerce platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop. Core regulatory concerns include the surge of overseas products, consumer protection, and ensuring a fair competitive environment for local SMEs.

4. Vietnam's H1 B2C E-Commerce Market Reaches $13.9 Billion

According to Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, the B2C e-commerce market size reached $13.9 billion in the first half of this year, up 17.9% year-on-year. Market competition logic has shifted from pure price competition to comprehensive capability competition covering content, fulfillment, and services.

Platform data shows TikTok Shop's shopping festival saw daily GMV up 70% year-on-year in September, with both buyer numbers and search volume up about 50%. During Shopee's campaigns, express order volume grew 5-fold, large-item installation orders grew 8-fold, and livestream and short-video driven sales grew 5-fold, with AI livestreaming becoming a normalized operational tool.

This article was originally published on the official Ebrun website.