Cross-border Daily Briefing 2026-10-25

📋 Cross-border Seller Daily | 2026-10-25

⏰ 30-Second Overview

• •U.S. de minimis exemption for low-value imports indefinitely suspended: commercial express packages under $800 no longer enjoy de minimis, costs rise immediately
• •T86 clearance rules revised: compliance requirements for low-value goods declarations tightened, violations face delays or penalties
• •TikTok Shop fully-managed model covers 16 countries for the first time; the year's biggest Black Friday promotion season is about to begin
• •Amazon product rating display is changing, with ratings disappearing on some products, affecting click-through rate and conversion
• •TikTok Shop Malaysia skincare category commission may rise to 14.04%; cost calculations need to start immediately

🔴 Key Focus

U.S. Indefinitely Suspends De Minimis Exemption for Non-Postal Network Low-Value Packages

U.S. Customs has indefinitely suspended the de minimis exemption for non-postal network imports under $800. All such goods must enter under formal or informal entry procedures. This means sellers shipping via commercial express (DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.) will incur customs clearance costs and tariffs on every shipment, directly squeezing profit margins. It is recommended to immediately recalculate landed costs for each SKU after the exemption is removed and reprice accordingly; prioritize switching low-value products to postal channels, or shift to overseas warehouse stocking to avoid per-shipment clearance.

⏰ Effective now, implement immediately

Low-Value Goods T86 Clearance Test Rule Modified

U.S. Customs has modified the Entry Type 86 test rules, clarifying the scope of exemptions and consequences of violations. T86 clearance is the core fast-track channel for low-value packages. With rules tightened, sellers who submit inaccurate declarations or abuse exemptions will face clearance delays or even fines. It is recommended to review existing declaration processes to ensure product descriptions, HTS codes, and declared values are accurate; if using a customs broker, immediately confirm their response plan for the new rules.

⏰ Act immediately

TikTok Shop Fully-Managed Model Covers 16 Countries for First Time, Black Friday Season About to Begin

TikTok Shop's fully-managed model now covers 16 countries for the first time and is launching the year's biggest Black Friday promotion season. Under the fully-managed model, the platform handles operations, logistics, and after-sales; sellers only supply goods, lowering the barrier to going global. Interested sellers should contact the fully-managed recruitment team as soon as possible to confirm supply categories and price ranges; for the peak promotion traffic window, stocking should be scheduled at least 3-4 weeks in advance to avoid stockouts during the peak season.

⏰ Black Friday season is imminent; stocking window is tight

Amazon Major Update: Product Ratings Disappear

Amazon is testing or updating how product ratings are displayed, and star ratings on some product listings are no longer shown. Ratings are a key signal for consumer decisions; disappearing ratings may cause click-through rates to decline, with greater impact on new products with fewer ratings. It is recommended to immediately check your own listings' rating display status; affected sellers should strengthen other trust elements such as main images, price, title, and review count, and improve conversion through A+ content.

⏰ Continue to monitor scope of changes

Malay Chamber of Commerce Calls for Delay of TikTok Shop Commission Adjustment; Skincare Category to Rise to 14.04%

TikTok Shop Malaysia plans to raise the skincare category commission to 14.04%, and the Malay Chamber of Commerce has publicly called for a delay. If the policy is implemented, skincare sellers' operating costs will rise significantly, severely squeezing profit margins. It is recommended to immediately calculate the break-even point under the new commission, prepare price adjustment plans or optimize product structure in advance; monitor official platform announcements and the chamber's negotiations to avoid passive acceptance.

⏰ Watch the policy window

Tariffs Soar 104%, Three Self-Rescue Paths for U.S. Market Sellers

U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods have soared 104%, and some peers choose price competition, leading to a vicious cycle. The article suggests three paths: supply chain optimization, pricing strategy adjustment, and opening new markets. This is a microcosm of the deteriorating tariff environment; sellers should not hope for a short-term policy reversal. It is recommended to put supply chain diversification on the agenda (Southeast Asia, Mexico transshipment), conduct gross margin audits on U.S. product lines, and evaluate alternative markets such as Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

⏰ Assess cost impact immediately

Section 321 Data Pilot Expanded and Modified

CBP has modified the Section 321 data pilot rules, adding optional data elements and expanding participation, with the pilot extended to August 2025. Sellers can voluntarily participate and submit richer shipment data, which helps speed up clearance and improve compliance efficiency, especially valuable amid tightened T86 rules. It is recommended to assess whether your data capabilities meet pilot requirements and confirm with logistics providers whether they can connect to the pilot channel.

⏰ Watch this week, evaluate participation

📌 Worth Attention

Compliance

• •Ghana imposes real-time 20% withholding tax on cross-border digital services — digital service costs increase, need to adjust pricing or compliance strategy (AMZ123)
• •EU abolishes anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Chinese solar glass, effective Oct 22 — export costs for related products to EU decrease (AMZ123)
• •U.S. plans to exclude trade national security action goods from low-value exemption — need to prepare 10-digit HTS codes for declaration (Federal Register)
• •Saudi Arabia mandates e-commerce contract transparency — total price including taxes and delivery fees must be shown; Middle East sellers need to update pages (AMZ123)
• •U.S. plans to require additional data for low-value packages to combat fentanyl — future customs data requirements will be more granular (Federal Register)
• •TEMU sellers face mandatory UK and EU responsible person compliance — all products must complete UK/EU responsible person compliance, otherwise face delisting risk (雨果跨境)
• •U.S. HFC quota new rules implemented — refrigeration equipment sellers must hold quotas; supply may tighten (Federal Register)
• •Thailand plans to strengthen seller identity verification — government data API integration will raise entry thresholds (AMZ123)

Platform Updates

• •Shopee Malaysia instant delivery adds order cancellation time window — note new rules to avoid disputes and fines (AMZ123)
• •ShopeePay launches fee-free balance withdrawal — Indonesian sellers' fund repatriation costs reduced (AMZ123)
• •Brazilian retail giant Magalu lists own inventory on Shopee — category overlap intensifies, need to optimize price and differentiation (AMZ123)
• •Shopee Vietnam launches free short drama feature — response to TikTok content e-commerce competition; platform content trend clear (TT123)
• •Etsy to ban AI-generated product information and images from sellers — handmade sellers need to return to authentic materials (卖家之家)
• •TikTok Shop U.S. further opens image-text product link permissions — lower barriers for content-driven conversion, benefiting content-focused sellers (雨果跨境)
• •Shopee Thailand preferred seller fast delivery hard indicator; first round already delisted — logistics timeliness failures will lose badge (AMZ123)

Logistics & Warehousing

• •Ozon discontinues partner logistics, switches to own OGL on Nov 1 — must adjust shipping before deadline to avoid fulfillment interruption (AMZ123)
• •Ozon own OGL shipping 14% lower, peak season timeliness uncertain — cost benefit coexists with timeliness risk; reserve buffer (AMZ123)
• •Fuel shortage in 11 Indonesian provinces — logistics delivery may be delayed; communicate with logistics providers in advance (AMZ123)
• •European FBA fuel and logistics surcharge rises from 1.5% to 2% from Nov 2 — EU FBA costs rise slightly; include in pricing (AMZ123)
• •Best Express cross-border pickup volume grows nearly 10x — 59 distribution centers set up drop-off windows, making domestic delivery more convenient (AMZ123)
• •Philippines LTFRB summons five major e-commerce platforms, gives 3 days to submit delivery provider list — logistics compliance tightens; confirm partner logistics qualifications (雨果跨境)

Payments & Finance

• •Klarna launches cross-border local currency settlement, partner merchant revenue up 6% — European local payment conversion opportunity; evaluate integration (AMZ123)

Marketing & Promotion

• •Budget-limited ad campaigns lose 20% ROAS advantage within 3 weeks — CPC rising; Amazon ads need timely bid adjustments (PPC.land)
• •Meta Ads Manager adds 7 product-level metrics — catalog ad performance analysis more precise; can optimize delivery (PPC.land)
• •TikTok launches search ads for first time; some sellers' conversion rate up 6x — search intent traffic dividend period; test early recommended (雨果跨境)

Market Insights

• •Vietnam's four major e-commerce platforms H1 GMV up 44.1% to $11.2 billion — Southeast Asia growth certainty reinforced; watch Vietnam site (AMZ123)
• •Europe's top 100 online marketplaces GMV about €175 billion, nearly 80% from cross-border — Europe cross-border space remains large, but compliance thresholds rise simultaneously (AMZ123)
• •SHEIN and Temu Germany revenue down 36% after EU import tax — EU tax compliance significantly impacts low-price platforms (AMZ123)
• •France small parcel tax and fast fashion tax combined, Temu active customers down 37% — France market low-price model under pressure; reassess (AMZ123)
• •Southeast Asia e-commerce grows 18%, 2026 GMV expected to exceed $226 billion — regional dividend continues, but commission and compliance costs rise simultaneously (卖家之家)

💡 Today's Insight

Today's core signal: the U.S. low-value clearance dividend has officially ended. The T86 rule modification, the indefinite suspension of de minimis, and the expansion of the Section 321 data pilot point to the same trend — U.S. regulation of low-value imported packages is shifting from a "loose channel" to "full compliance." This is not a temporary tightening but a structural shift; sellers should no longer adopt a strategy of "waiting for policy to recover."

Actionable steps: ① Conduct a comprehensive recalculation of landed costs for low-value U.S. products (under $50), including clearance fees, tariffs, and customs broker fees, and reassess which SKUs are still worth continuing; ② Prioritize overseas warehouse stocking so small parcels become bulk cargo entering the country, bypassing per-shipment clearance compliance costs; ③ Do not overlook the TikTok fully-managed and Black Friday promotion window. In an environment where compliance costs squeeze profits, the supply chain efficiency of platform-managed models is one of the few structural cost-reduction opportunities, but stocking must start now.