How should cross-border e-commerce sellers adjust and strategize during the buffer period before the U.S. cancels its $800 tax exemption policy? This is a key point worth our attention!

For e-commerce sellers who heavily rely on the U.S. market and mainly use the full-service direct shipping small parcel logistics model, 2025 may require a greater focus on risk mitigation strategies. It’s important to recognize that trade tensions and tariff barriers will persist for an extended period. Therefore, business operators should aim to avoid the risks associated with relying on a single market in the context of macro policies and external environmental turbulence. Distributing resources across different markets and avoiding putting all eggs in one basket is essential.

The U.S. tax increase and planned cancellation of the $800 exemption will significantly affect Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms, particularly the "Four Little Dragons" platforms, which mostly rely on full-service direct shipping logistics. In contrast, U.S.-based platforms like Amazon and Walmart predominantly fulfill orders through overseas warehouse models, which means the impact on them will be more limited.

It’s foreseeable that many e-commerce platforms relying on full-service direct shipping logistics will accelerate their overseas warehouse deployments in the future. Additionally, more sellers may look to expand onto platforms like Amazon and Walmart, which support overseas warehouse shipping. This shift could lead to more sellers returning to Amazon, with the volume of sea freight to FBA likely to increase, while demand for logistics services such as customs clearance, pickup, and distribution at overseas destination ports will also rise.

In addition to multi-platform deployment, cross-border e-commerce sellers should consider expanding into emerging markets outside of the U.S. Diversifying markets to spread the risks associated with reliance on a single market is undoubtedly a wise move. However, it’s important to note that any business has limited resources, capital, and team energy to invest. As the number of cross-border industry practitioners grows and industry cycles fluctuate more significantly, the difficulty of decision-making for sellers is also increasing. Therefore, maintaining organizational flexibility and ensuring some maneuverability in product categories, target markets, platform layout, and logistics fulfillment is crucial.

In 2025, the only certainty is uncertainty. With both challenges and opportunities coexisting, sellers must be well-prepared and ready to respond flexibly to market changes.

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Cross-border E-commerce Logistics Baixiaosheng