The past week has seen many noteworthy events in the cross-border e-commerce sector. Below is a detailed overview of the latest developments on various platforms and adjustments to relevant policies and regulations.
Platform Developments
Amazon
Recently, sellers on Amazon’s US and Canadian platforms received new regulations concerning updated compliance requirements for categories such as portable power banks and baby walkers. The new regulations require sellers to collaborate with third-party TIC service providers to test relevant ASINs, replacing direct document submission. Amazon may periodically conduct additional testing. Portable power banks must comply with standards such as UL2056, and baby walkers require corresponding test reports. Product detail pages must include complete information such as model and brand. Sellers should regularly check their account status and can use compliance tools to check requirements and service providers to avoid product delisting.
Platform Developments
Amazon
Recently, sellers on Amazon’s US and Canadian platforms received new regulations concerning updated compliance requirements for categories such as portable power banks and baby walkers.
Amazon has officially announced the details of its 2026 FBA fee and sales commission adjustments. The policy reduction for the European marketplace will be implemented ahead of schedule on January 5th, while the US marketplace will take effect on January 15th. For the US marketplace, sales commissions remain unchanged, but shipping fees for standard and high-priced items in the FBA fulfillment process have increased, while fees for large, small, and oversized items have decreased. On average, inbound fulfillment fees have increased, and surcharges for inventory exceeding 365 days have been raised. The rules for low-volume inventory fees have also been updated. Amazon has upgraded its return management service, adding a “refund without return” feature for low-value (<$75) FBA items in the US and a "partial refund" feature for the US and European marketplaces. Sellers can customize the applicable scope and proportion. The policy has also been optimized, allowing for tiered resale of returned goods (covering multiple marketplaces and categories, recovering 20%-50% of costs), and supporting return assessment settings. Furthermore, services such as FBA donations have been integrated, leveraging technology to prevent abuse and data analysis to reduce return rates, helping sellers reduce costs and improve efficiency. TikTok Shop recently announced the launch of its "One Shop, Global Sales" service. This project targets cross-border self-operated (POP) merchants, providing five key functions through a cross-regional workbench: multi-store binding, rapid store opening, unified data dashboard, cross-border review sharing, and message aggregation. This initiative aims to help merchants simplify their global multi-market operations, improve management efficiency, and facilitate their transition from single-store operations to a global footprint, adapting to TikTok Shop's expanding international market reach. TikTok Shop's Southeast Asia cross-border platform has released new compliance requirements, clarifying that all electronic products sold and newly released must comply with the safety certifications and product attribute regulations of the destination country to ensure product safety and legality, protecting the rights of consumers and merchants. Merchants must submit or update required information (items marked with * are required) in the "Product Attributes" and "Product Compliance" areas of the Merchant Center. For products that fail to complete certification, the platform will take measures such as removal or penalties in accordance with local laws and platform policies. Temu has released new rules tightening security deposit requirements for basic and special categories, raising the maximum standard to 100,000 yuan, covering both fully managed and semi-managed models. Basic security deposits are now managed in tiers, with semi-managed deposits reduced to 10,000 yuan, and an additional 37,000 yuan CE certification deposit required for the German site; special security deposits are required for categories such as children's toys and power banks. The platform has established a dynamic mechanism, with penalties ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 yuan for violations or recalls, increasing financial pressure on some sellers who need to build a mechanism to balance security deposits, inventory, and cash flow. According to statistics from the US research firm Descartes Datamyne, in November 2025, the volume of maritime container shipments from Asia to the United States decreased by 6.7% year-on-year, falling to 1.604 million TEUs, marking the third consecutive month that the volume has been lower than the same period last year. From January to November, the cumulative container shipment volume from Asia to the United States was 18.602 million TEUs, basically flat compared to the same period in 2024. **Policy and Data** A White House statement released on its website indicates that US President Trump has officially signed a proclamation postponing planned tariff increases on upholstered furniture, cabinets, and dressing tables. The statement shows that US Customs will temporarily maintain tariffs on these goods at 25%. The planned tariff increase is postponed to 2027. **Foreign media reports that while Vietnamese e-commerce platforms currently withhold taxes at a rate of 1.5%, Article 7 of the new Individual Income Tax Law stipulates that self-employed individuals with annual income between 3 billion and 50 billion VND will no longer be subject to a uniform tax rate. Instead, they will be required to pay 17% individual income tax on their net income after deducting reasonable costs. This means sellers will need to provide valid cost documentation for accurate tax calculation. **The General Administration of Customs and the General Department of Taxation jointly issued Announcement No. 256 of 2025, announcing the implementation of electronic data verification for the "Certificate of Tax Payment/Refund for Exported Goods," aiming to optimize the port business environment and improve the level of cross-border trade facilitation.** The announcement clarifies that starting January 1, 2026, the two departments will implement online comparison of electronic data for certificates and electronic data for customs declarations. After issuing a certificate, the tax department will simultaneously transmit the electronic data to customs. Customs will verify and compare the data during customs clearance and provide feedback on its usage. Certificates that have already been used cannot be invalidated or reissued. Enterprises must truthfully and accurately declare relevant procedures. If online verification is not possible due to system or network failure, paper certificates can be submitted. The EU will implement new regulations from December 2028, requiring all external power adapters for electronic devices sold in the market to use detachable USB-C interfaces, covering devices with a power of up to 240W, including routers and monitors. This measure aims to reduce electronic waste, improve charging compatibility, and reduce idle energy consumption. Combined with the previous mandatory USB-C requirement for mobile phones, laptops, and other devices, the EU expects to significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by 2035, saving consumers approximately €100 million annually. Mexico will implement comprehensive customs reforms starting January 1, 2026, which are expected to significantly strengthen oversight of the manufacturing sector and impose stricter compliance obligations on importers and customs brokers. Under the new regulations, licensed customs brokers will share responsibility with importers for underreporting, misclassification, and false declarations, and will be required to proactively report unusual transactions to the authorities. Violations will face severe penalties, including fines in the millions of dollars or years in prison. Belgium has abandoned its original parcel tax plan and will instead adopt the EU's uniform €3 tariff on e-commerce parcels from non-EU regions. Belgium originally planned to implement its own parcel tax starting in 2026, expecting annual revenue of €140 million to €300 million, but has now opted to directly join the EU customs system. While Belgium hopes member states will share some of the tariff revenue, the specific allocation plan has not yet been determined. These platform developments and policy changes present both new opportunities and challenges for cross-border e-commerce practitioners. Practitioners need to closely monitor these developments and adjust their business strategies promptly to adapt to market changes.
