Cross-border Daily Briefing | June 30, 2026

📋 Cross-border Seller Daily | 2026-06-30

⏰ 30-Second Brief

• •The EU's new tariff policy is confirmed to take effect tomorrow; sellers must immediately verify parcel declared values to prepare for customs delays and cost increases.
• •TikTok Shop forces sellers to handle return disputes within 24 hours and adjusts smart promotion fee mechanisms, potentially eroding profits.
• •Amazon Prime Day has begun, with traffic peaking until July 2; non-participating sellers can leverage this to adjust advertising strategies.
• •The U.S. suspends de minimis exemption for non-postal channels, forcing small-package direct-shipping sellers to urgently switch logistics or bear tariffs.
• •TikTok tightens compliance thresholds across multiple areas, including toys, medical devices, and 16 category access qualifications; violations will lead to immediate delisting or frozen permissions.

🔴 Key Focus

EU's July 1 Tariff New Policy Effective Tomorrow: Exemption Abolished, Logistics Companies Issue Warnings

The new EU regulation officially took effect on July 1, requiring all imported goods to pay VAT, completely abolishing the previous €22 exemption policy. Logistics providers warn that customs clearance delays and inspection rates will rise significantly; sellers must ensure accurate declared values and correct HS codes to avoid cargo holds and back-tax penalties. It is recommended to immediately check IOSS registration status and ensure the parcel label has the correct IOSS number. For unregistered sellers, consider switching to deferred customs clearance or prepaying tariffs.

TikTok Shop Smart Promotion Mechanics Shift Abruptly: Fixed Fee Reaches 3.5% of GMV

TikTok Shop has changed its smart promotion activities from a platform joint subsidy model to charging sellers a fixed percentage of GMV. The regular fee is 3.5%, rising to 4.5% during major promotions. This means that for every $10,000 in sales through this feature, sellers must bear at least $350 in fixed costs. It is recommended to immediately review all active smart promotion campaigns in your account, calculate product profit margins meticulously, and immediately turn off the feature for low-priced or low-margin products to prevent marketing costs from spiraling out of control and eroding profits.

Amazon Prime Day Enters Mid-Stage, Traffic Reaches Its Peak

The 2026 Amazon Prime Day is scheduled from June 23 to July 2, with today being a continuous peak day. If you haven't participated in Lightning Deals, it's advised to adjust advertising strategies by raising bids on key ASINs and leveraging the high traffic during the event for cross-promotions. For sellers not participating in the big sales, this is an excellent window to target competitors' out-of-stock or price-hike moments by increasing investment in long-tail precise keywords to capture spillover traffic.

TikTok Shop Mandates 24-Hour Dispute Resolution: Automatic Refund After Timeout

TikTok Shop requires sellers to submit evidence within 24 hours after a buyer initiates a dispute; otherwise, the platform will automatically refund without returning counterfeit products. For Chinese sellers, the time difference and response speed pose a huge challenge. It is advised to set up a 24-hour shift system for customer service teams and prepare English response templates and evidence chains (such as shipping videos, logistics information) for common dispute scenarios to complete proof within the deadline and avoid losing both money and goods.

U.S. Indefinitely Suspends Duty-Free Exemption for Low-Value Goods via Non-Postal Channels

U.S. Customs announced that goods valued under $800 entering through non-postal channels like express and freight will have their duty-free exemption suspended indefinitely, and a 10-digit HTSUS code is mandatory for formal or informal entry. Costs for sellers relying on small-package direct shipping will increase significantly. It is recommended to immediately switch primary logistics to postal channels under the Universal Postal Union system or allocate sufficient budget for tariff payments to avoid high detention fees and return risks at customs.

📌 Worth Watching

Platform Updates

• •TikTok Shop Account Health Rating Effective July — AHR below 150 points will restrict new listings and marketing activities; improve your key performance indicators immediately. (PPC.land)
• •TikTok Shop Southeast Asia Bans Multi-Stream Broadcasting — Loop playback of recorded videos and multi-account simultaneous streaming are strictly prohibited; all live broadcasts must involve real-time, in-person interaction. (AMZ123)
• •TikTok Shop Requires Qualification Documents for 16 Categories — Failure to submit will restrict promotion functions and deduct health scores; promptly complete missing documents for your categories. (PPC.land)
• •TikTok Shop Uses AI to Monitor Low-Rated Products — New products may be heavily penalized or delisted; monitor AI Voice of Customer product feedback data daily. (PPC.land)
• •Amazon Product Ratings May Undergo Major Overhaul — Front-end star ratings may disappear; immediately compensate for trust gaps through main image optimization and A+ content. (Yuguo Cross-Border)
• •Shopee Singapore Tightens Non-Fulfillment Rate Standards — Stricter penalty points from July 6; ensure supply chain fulfillment capability and timely delivery. (TT123)

Compliance & Regulations

• •Temu Mandates VAT and UK/EU Representatives — Failure to submit will lead to sales permission restrictions; contact your tax agent immediately to issue certificates. (AMZ123)
• •TikTok Shop Bans Sale of Tampons Without FDA 510(k) — Such products are classified as Class II medical devices; violations will result in delisting and score deductions. (36Kr)
• •TikTok Toy Safety Regulations Far Exceed Expectations — CPSC certificates, lab reports, and choking hazard warnings are required; conduct immediate product compliance self-checks. (PPC.land)
• •Shenzhen Seller Criminally Investigated for Receiving Foreign Exchange via Private Account — Concealed 3.09 million in income and transferred to public security; switch to corporate accounts and compliant collection tools immediately. (AMZ123)

Logistics & Warehousing

• •U.S. Trucking Companies and Shenzhen Freight Forwarders Collapse in Succession — Involves over 30 cases and 1 billion yuan in broken capital chains; diversify logistics partners immediately and shorten billing cycles. (AMZ123)
• •SpeedPAK Launches New Hong Kong–EU (23 Countries) Logistics Route — eBay sellers can evaluate cost optimization via this new route as a supplementary backup channel. (AMZ123)

💡 Today's Insights

Today's information reveals a dual trend of refined compliance granularity and rigid cost structures. TikTok's shift from subsidies to hard fees in its promotion model signals the replacement of traffic dividend periods with profit harvesting—every ad product's ROI must be meticulously calculated. The sudden rise in compliance thresholds across countries essentially creates invisible barriers; those who first complete withholding tax compliance and category qualification certifications can seize market share when competitors are cleared out for violations. It is recommended to immediately establish a cross-departmental "compliance calendar," setting EU IOSS renewals, TikTok document updates, FDA certifications, and similar items as recurring tasks with dedicated personnel, so that compliance disruptions never interrupt business.