TikTok E-commerce Exceeds $40 Billion GMV in 2024;Temu Significantly Changing Operating Model;UPS Launches New International Freight Route

1.TikTok E-commerce Exceeds $40 Billion GMV in 2024

February 17 – TikTok E-commerce achieved over $40 billion in sales in 2024, with a rising market share in Southeast Asia, although performance in the U.S. fell short of expectations. In the new year, the TikTok E-commerce team has set a nearly 100% growth target, with the U.S. market being the most anticipated, aiming for a growth rate of nearly 200%. In 2025, TikTok E-commerce will also accelerate entry into more countries to hedge against the risk of losing the U.S. market. It is reported that TikTok will launch e-commerce services in Italy, Germany, and France this year, as well as enter Brazil and Japan.

Source: LatePost

2.Temu Significantly Changing Operating Model

February 17 – Due to tariff policies, Temu is significantly changing its operating model. Temu plans to require sellers to directly handle the delivery responsibilities in the U.S. market, adopting a "semi-managed" method, which requires sellers to ship products directly from factories to U.S. warehouses. Although this system has been in place since early last year, it has not yet been enforced, but Temu says it will prioritize companies that adopt this system. In the long run, the company plans to fully transition its U.S. business to this model.

Source: Bloomberg

3.UPS Launches New International Freight Route

February 17 – UPS has launched a new "Paris (CDG) to Hong Kong (HKG)" freight route to meet the growing export demand from French businesses. This route operates five flights per week to support France's exports of wine and other foods to Hong Kong and Asia, with this business accounting for more than 20% of the market.

Source: Global Air Cargo

4.TikTok Reinstated in the U.S.

February 17 – TikTok has been reinstated in the Google Play store in the U.S., and Apple has confirmed that TikTok has also been reinstated in the U.S. App Store. It is reported that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Apple ensuring that Apple would not be fined for hosting the app. Other ByteDance apps that were removed, such as Lemon8 and CapCut, have also been reinstated.

Source: Caixin News

5.Amazon Expands Partnership with India's DGFT

February 17 – Amazon and India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) have announced an expanded partnership aimed at accelerating e-commerce exports from India. Based on the initial memorandum of understanding signed in November 2023, this new alliance will prioritize providing essential skills and resources to India's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This partnership will host dedicated training sessions in 47 regions, integrate Amazon's export navigation tools into DGFT's trade connection portal, and create an export community as a local offline network for MSMEs. Over 3,000 MSMEs have benefited from the collaboration so far. The DGFT's Additional Secretary, Santosh Sarangi, stated that this move aligns with India's goal of achieving $200-300 billion in exports by 2030.

Source: E-Commerce Digest

6.Shopee Malaysia to Adjust Commission Rates

February 17 – Shopee Malaysia will adjust the commission rates for local sellers starting March 6, 2025. Shopee Mall and cross-border seller commissions will remain unchanged. Additionally, new sellers who have been on Shopee for less than 120 days will continue to benefit from the 0% commission policy.

Source: Shopee

7.Pakistan Becomes the 50th Largest E-commerce Market

February 17 – According to e-commerce data analytics site ECDB, Pakistan has become the 50th largest e-commerce market in the world, driven by increased internet penetration, smartphone usage, and growing consumer demand for online shopping. E-commerce revenue is expected to reach $3.258 billion, surpassing Iran. The market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14% between 2024 and 2028, with the market size expected to reach $5.493 billion by 2028. In January 2025, Pakistan's e-commerce market recorded a monthly revenue of $311 million, a 5.9% increase compared to December 2024.

Source: ECDB

8.Yangtze River Delta’s First Freight Airport to Open by Year-End

February 17 – Zhejiang's Jiaxing Nanhua Airport will be completed by June this year, with test flights in July and operational by year-end. The airport is positioned as a "military-civilian shared airport, passenger feeder airport, and professional air freight hub," and is projected to handle 4 million passengers and 1.23 million tons of cargo and mail by 2035. As the Yangtze River Delta’s first professional air freight hub, Jiaxing Nanhua Airport is modeled after the Memphis Airport in the U.S. Upon completion, it will be the second air freight hub focused on cargo after Ezhou in Hubei, with the vision of "transporting globally, delivering globally, buying globally, and selling globally."

Furthermore, as a project independently invested in and constructed by the YTO Group, Jiaxing uses a "professional hub + air freight airline" organizational model, in close cooperation with YTO Group to create a global air logistics hub. The project is nearly complete, and some parts have already been handed over to clients, ready for operation.

Source: Air Cargo News Express

9.Hangzhou Builds First Comprehensive Cross-border E-commerce Experimental Zone

February 17 – Hangzhou has released the "Implementation Plan for Promoting the Core Zone of the Global Digital Trade Port (2025-2027)" for public consultation, aiming to create the first comprehensive cross-border e-commerce experimental zone in China. The plan will release the 2.0 version of the comprehensive experimental zone and seek national support, focusing on new system innovation lists for reforms, such as cross-border medical device OTC imports and cross-border e-commerce tax refund facilitation. Additionally, the plan promotes the integration of "live streaming + platform economy + cross-border e-commerce," encouraging MCN organizations to collaborate with cross-border e-commerce sellers and platforms, and building provincial-level live-streaming demonstration bases.

Source: 36Kr

10.Zhejiang's First Cross-border E-commerce Retail Export Returns Completed in Ningbo

February 17 – An international freight flight carrying a batch of cross-border e-commerce retail export returns smoothly landed at Ningbo Lishe International Airport. The goods, including pet supplies, toys, and phone cases, were originally shipped from Hangzhou in mid-January and completed the customs clearance process under the supervision of Ningbo Customs, marking the first batch of cross-border e-commerce retail export returns in Zhejiang province.

Source: Zhejiang Online

11.ONE Launches New VCX Route

February 17 – The world’s sixth-largest shipping company ONE has launched a new VCX route (Vietnam China Express), connecting South China to Vietnam. The route will utilize the MV HAIAN ALFA vessel, with the 045S voyage arriving in Ho Chi Minh City on April 16. The ports of call include Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Nansha, Hong Kong, Haiphong, and back to Ho Chi Minh City, with a round trip taking 14 days and one voyage per week. Notably, the transit time from Ho Chi Minh City to Nansha is only 5 days.

Source: ONE

12.Shanghai Port Supports Maiden Voyage of the "Twin Stars" Alliance

February 17 – The "Twin Stars" shipping alliance, formed by Denmark's Maersk and Germany's Hapag-Lloyd, has officially begun operations at Shanghai Port. As the world leader in container throughput for 15 consecutive years, Shanghai Port’s cooperation with the "Twin Stars" alliance will further enhance the density of its international route network, ensure the alliance's "on-time shipping rate," and provide customers worldwide with "exceeding expectations" logistics services.

Source: Shanghai Observer

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Public Account: Cross-border E-commerce Logistics Baixiaosheng