Cross-Border E-commerce Daily Briefing 2026-10-23

📋 Cross-border Seller Daily | 2026-10-23

⏰ 30-second Overview

• •The U.S. raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 104%; combined with competitors cutting prices, U.S. market profits are under pressure, requiring immediate recalculation of cost structures.
• •EU PPWR takes effect: e-commerce package void space must not exceed 50%; violations will face penalties.
• •UPS integrates with TikTok Shop US reverse logistics; 10,000 UPS locations nationwide support box-free, label-free returns.
• •CBP expands Section 321 data pilot and extends its period; low-value direct-shipment sellers can apply for streamlined customs clearance.
• •TikTok Shop expands cross-border product listings to 12 European countries; Black Friday subsidies of 1 billion go to Europe.

🔴 Key Focus

Tariffs Raised to 104%: 3 Self-Rescue Paths for U.S. Market Sellers

The U.S. has imposed tariffs of up to 104% on Chinese goods, and combined with competitors cutting prices to grab volume, profit margins for U.S. market sellers are severely squeezed, with direct shipping hit hardest. Take immediate action: ① Recalculate end-to-end costs and raise prices where necessary instead of chasing low prices; ② Evaluate overseas warehouses or third-country transshipment options to bypass high tariffs; ③ Cut low-margin SKUs and focus resources on categories where you have pricing power.

⏰ Act now

EU PPWR: E-commerce Package Void Space Must Not Exceed 50%

The EU's new packaging regulation requires e-commerce package void space to not exceed 50%. Sellers must redesign packaging and reduce filler materials, or face penalties. For sellers on European sites, this directly affects fulfillment costs and compliance risk. It is recommended to review packaging solutions for existing SKUs within this week, switch to appropriately sized boxes, which is both compliant and can reduce dimensional weight and lower first-leg shipping costs.

⏰ Act now

UPS Reverse Logistics Integrates with TikTok Shop: 10,000 U.S. Return Points with No Box or Label Required

UPS has integrated with TikTok Shop US reverse logistics, allowing buyers to return items without a box or label at 10,000 UPS locations nationwide, significantly lowering the return threshold. For sellers, this means return rates may rise, but return processing costs decrease and buyer experience improves. It is recommended to update the return instructions on product pages, clearly state the return method, and closely monitor the impact of return rate changes on gross margin, adjusting return policies if necessary.

CBP Expands Section 321 Data Pilot and Extends Its Period

U.S. Customs has modified the Section 321 data pilot, adding optional data elements and accepting more participants, and extended the pilot period. This means low-value direct-shipment sellers of goods under $800 have a window to apply and enjoy smoother customs clearance. It is recommended that direct-shipment sellers on U.S. routes contact customs brokers or clearance agents as soon as possible to learn application requirements and secure streamlined clearance slots.

⏰ Limited spots, apply early

📌 Worth Watching

Platform Updates

• •TikTok Shop expands cross-border product listings to 12 European countries — manage multiple countries from a single backend; European expansion accelerates (AMZ123)
• •Shopee US site extends targeted invitations to Chinese sellers — domestic direct shipping via SLS fulfillment; new U.S. channel added (AMZ123)
• •TikTok Shop US opens image-and-text product link permissions — lower barrier for image-and-text commerce; content e-commerce accelerates (雨果跨境-TikTok)
• •AliExpress Double 11 Europe logistics fees up to 30% cashback — reduces logistics costs on European sites, good for promotions (AMZ123)
• •Amazon encourages sellers to expand into grocery categories — platform actively promoting; sellers can evaluate entry requirements (雨果跨境)
• •TikTok Shop Vietnam opens over-the-counter drug category — prepare compliance qualifications before entering (TT123)

Compliance & Regulations

• •U.S. Department of Commerce initiates administrative reviews of antidumping and countervailing duties — check if your products are listed and participate promptly (Federal Register)
• •China Customs cross-border e-commerce favorable policies — streamlined customs clearance and tax incentives; adjust declarations to benefit (雨果跨境)
• •EPA cuts hydrofluorocarbon quotas by 85% — refrigerant and air-conditioning categories need to watch costs (Federal Register)
• •Kazakhstan requires domestic products to occupy 30% of shelf space — e-commerce search rankings also incorporated; Central Asia entry threshold rises (AMZ123)
• •UK plans to require platforms to withhold VAT — applies to sellers with annual sales above £90,000 (AMZ123)

Logistics & Warehousing

• •Kyrgyzstan containers exempt from customs declaration and tariffs — transit logistics costs reduced; favorable for routes through the country (AMZ123)
• •DSV invests $90 million in U.S.-Mexico border hub — cross-border logistics nodes densify; Laredo hub upgraded (AMZ123)
• •Deutsche Post adjusts postal rate structure in 2027 — small parcels included in tracking but weight limit reduced to 1 kg (AMZ123)

Market Trends

• •Thailand H1 e-commerce GMV grows 51%, TikTok overtakes Shopee — Southeast Asia market landscape shifts (AMZ123)
• •TikTok Shop annual GMV expected to reach $123.5 billion — first time exceeding 100 billion; traffic dividend remains (TT123)
• •Southeast Asia e-commerce market size reaches $226 billion — up 18% year-over-year; regional growth certainty strong (AMZ123)
• •TikTok search ad conversion rate increases 6-fold — new ad format worth testing (雨果跨境-TikTok)
• •UCANBE Halloween 4-week GMV exceeds $640,000 — seasonal timing + content marketing replicable (AMZ123)

Marketing & Promotion

• •Meta catalog ads add 7 product-level metrics — more granular attribution; optimization grounded in data (雨果跨境-TikTok)
• •Ad CPC rises 59% in one week; budget-constrained ROAS drops 20% — cost fluctuations require dynamic price adjustments (PPC.land)

💡 Today's Insight

Today's core conflict is a "profit defense battle": the 104% tariff and the EU packaging regulation are simultaneously pressuring the cost side, while TikTok Shop's European expansion and Southeast Asia's high growth represent traffic-side opportunities. Sellers should no longer "spread to whichever platform is hot"; instead, they should break down cost structures by market—focus on high-margin categories with low reliance on air freight in the U.S., prepare compliant packaging in Europe and leverage Black Friday subsidies to ramp up volume, and use supply chain efficiency to offset price wars in Southeast Asia. Specific actions: complete a profit recalculation of U.S. SKUs within this week, decisively raise prices or delist products with gross margin below 20%; at the same time, check EU package void space and replace generic filler with appropriately sized boxes to reduce shipping costs and compliance risks in one step.