In 2026, the cross-border e-commerce market in Southeast Asia will show a rich and diverse development trend, with various dynamics emerging, presenting both opportunities and challenges.
In terms of hot trends, the 2026 China (Guangzhou) Cross-border E-commerce Fair will be held at the Canton Fair Complex from June 16th to 18th.
The exhibition area exceeded 50,000 square meters, a year-on-year increase of 24.6%. The number of participating platforms exceeded 50 for the first time, and the area of the Amazon SPN area exceeded 600 square meters for the first time.
Amazon Global Store also released the “White Paper on China’s Export Cross-Border E-commerce Development Trends in 2026”, and Xiyin continued to participate vigorously in the exhibition.
Indonesia’s “Ministry of Trade Regulation No. 19 of 2026” officially came into effect on June 8. The core requirements of the new regulations include transparency of platform charging items, priority recommendation of products from local small, medium and micro enterprises, strengthening supervision of AI marketing content, and requiring sellers to operate with a government business license, etc., promoting regional supervision from “platform self-discipline” to “national legislation.”
The TikTok Shop cross-border store updated its order limit policy on June 4. If the seller’s delayed fulfillment rate reaches 10%, he will be restricted from accepting new orders until the delayed fulfillment rate is reduced to less than 4% within seven days.
Judging from market data, the Vietnamese e-commerce market in Q1 2026 is approaching US$31 billion, with a year-on-year growth rate of 25.5%, leading the six Southeast Asian countries. The average consumer order value has increased from US$4.32 to US$5.44, an increase of 25%, indicating that Vietnamese e-commerce is shifting from “low prices and volume” to a high-quality growth stage of “buying less and buying quality”.
The overall GMV of Southeast Asian e-commerce in the first quarter of 2026 increased by 18.7% year-on-year. Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam contributed more than 60% of the increase, and the penetration rate of content e-commerce in Thailand and Vietnam further increased.
In terms of platform policies, Lazada Vietnam will adjust the payment handling rate to 6% (including VAT) from June 15th, and will charge non-LazMall merchants an infrastructure technology service fee of VND 3,000 for each successful order from June 9th.
TikTok Shop Philippines’ local store has simplified the qualification management process, and merchants can complete operations on a unified page.
Lazada implements the “one company/passport one store” system to combat multi-store fraud. This policy was first implemented in Malaysia.
Indonesia plans to introduce new regulations to limit platform fee increases in order to reshape the interest relationship between platforms and small, medium and micro enterprises.
Shopee’s official overseas warehouse first-haul rates remain unchanged in June, TikTok Shop’s cross-border investment in Southeast Asia continues to be open, and the real-name authentication module has been launched.
In terms of market trends, Vietnamese consumers are “buying less and buying more”, with the average order value increasing by 25% year-on-year. Product differentiation, branding and content marketing have become the core focus for sellers to break through.
Content e-commerce has exploded, and TikTok Shop’s live streaming e-commerce ecosystem in Thailand and Vietnam continues to expand, with monthly live streaming reaching a new high.
The penetration rate of digital payments in Southeast Asia has exceeded 75%, and the proportion of cash on delivery (COD) has fallen below 25%. Digital payments are more friendly to sellers’ cash flow management.
China-ASEAN trade volume reached 6.99 trillion yuan, and logistics demand in Southeast Asia continues to be strong.
The penetration rate of cross-border sellers in Southeast Asia has exceeded 35% for the first time, and localized operations have become a watershed.
Indonesia plans to limit platform fees, which may trigger a wave of “anti-platform monopoly” supervision in Southeast Asia.
In the field of logistics and payment, Singapore’s dedicated shipping line will undergo a major reshuffle in 2026, and Southeast Asia logistics will meet a key node.
Professional logistics service providers such as Zhongchao Container Lines are accelerating the deployment of intermodal transportation networks in eight Southeast Asian countries.
Vietnam’s mobile payment penetration rate exceeds 75%, with MoMo and ZaloPay leading the e-wallet market.
Indonesian Customs has strengthened cross-border e-commerce supervision and launched a full-link electronic customs clearance system. The average customs clearance time has been shortened and the declaration error rate has dropped.
Southeast Asia’s logistics costs account for as high as 20% of GDP, and there is still plenty of room for optimization.
Leading logistics companies such as Ninja Van and Jitu continue to expand their capacity, improving the delivery timeliness of terminals in Southeast Asia.
In terms of trends in various countries, Indonesia’s new e-commerce regulations have taken effect, platform rates are limited, compliance costs have increased, but the bargaining environment has improved; Vietnam raised e-commerce commissions in July, and tax compliance continues to tighten; Thailand canceled its tax-free policy for imported goods below 1,500 baht; Malaysia’s Lazada took the lead in implementing “one company, one store”, and Shopee cracked down on bad packaging; Philippines’ TikTok
Shop’s local store qualification process has been simplified, and the market penetration rate has increased rapidly; Singapore’s dedicated shipping line has become a logistics hub, and the high-customer unit price market has grown steadily.
In terms of hot-selling category predictions, this week we will focus on categories such as home storage, portable small appliances, Muslim-friendly beauty, outdoor sports and camping equipment, and children’s educational toys.
In terms of practical goods for sellers, sellers need to respond to rising platform costs, recalculate and adjust pricing; respond to TikTok Shop’s order limit policy, and keep an eye on delayed fulfillment rates; complete the Indonesian market compliance list; confirm Vietnam tax compliance; deploy local warehouses; and master content e-commerce conversion skills.
As platform fees continue to rise, sellers are faced with the challenge of maintaining profits.
Some people suggest that price increases should be passed on to consumers, but Southeast Asian consumers are price-sensitive; others suggest changing platforms, but there is not much difference in the cost structure of each platform.
Sellers can respond by offering brand premiums, shrinking categories to create high-quality products, and deploying local companies to get lower rates. We also hope that sellers can share their practical experience in the comment area so that more people can avoid detours.
