1. USPS Announces Adjustment to Service Standards

On February 28, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced a series of measures aimed at improving service standards and reducing costs. The agency plans to save at least $36 billion in costs over the next decade by optimizing transportation, mail handling, and real estate-related expenses. The service standard adjustments will be implemented in two stages. The first phase will begin on April 1, and the second phase will take effect on July 1. USPS stated that these reforms are designed to improve operational efficiency while ensuring continued service quality.

Source: Guanqian Network

2. SF REIT IPO Progress

On February 28, Southern SF Warehousing Logistics REIT was officially approved for review by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The project is valued at 3.262 billion yuan, with a fundraising target of 3.303 billion yuan. The underlying assets of the project include SF South China Logistics Complex, SF Fengtai Industrial Park (Wuhan), and SF Fengtai Industrial Park (Hefei).

Source: Luogo Network

3. Guo Huo Airlines Cargo and Mail Throughput Exceeds 130,000 Tons

On February 28, Guo Huo Airlines reported a total cargo and mail throughput of 130,000 tons in January 2025. The airline introduced 2 new freighters, bringing its fleet size to 18 aircraft. Currently, the airline operates 24 freighter routes, including 5 domestic routes, 18 international routes, and 1 regional route, covering 8 countries and 21 cities, establishing a global air freight support system to provide high-quality services to its customers.

Source: International Business Daily

4. Temu Expands Influence in South African E-commerce Market

On February 28, Temu announced that it would add several official South African languages, including Zulu. As the first e-commerce platform to offer South Africa's 12 official languages, Temu is further strengthening its influence in the country. This move comes as South Africa’s e-commerce market continues to grow, with internet penetration reaching 74.7% in 2024, and the online shopping market expected to continue expanding until 2033.

Source: Yien Network

5. Amazon FBA Rating Now Available

On February 28, Amazon's European platform announced that it would allow sellers to recover up to 80% of the value of unsold customer returns through FBA Rating and Resale Plans. According to the announcement, the program will automatically assess and list returned second-hand goods, with sellers having full control over pricing, and no fees to pay for the program. Amazon will notify sellers of any fee changes 60 days in advance. Currently, this service is available to sellers in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

Source: Baiyun Network

6. TikTok Shop U.S. POP GMV Surges 5 Times

On February 28, cross-border e-commerce continues to grow rapidly, with content-based e-commerce emerging as a new engine reshaping the industry landscape. In 2024, TikTok Shop saw strong growth in the U.S., with sales increasing by 212%, and daily paying users rising by 103%. The U.S. POP GMV exploded, increasing fivefold. Furthermore, TikTok Shop has relaunched its POP in the UK and will accelerate its global market expansion in 2025, building on continued growth in the U.S.

Source: TikTok Shop

7. Lazada Malaysia Adjusts Commission Rates for Regular Sellers

On February 28, Lazada Malaysia announced that it would adjust the commission rates for regular sellers starting March 6, 2025. The rates will vary by product category. To support new sellers, Lazada will waive commission fees for all new market sellers during their first 120 days on the platform. Additionally, starting on March 6, Lazada will update the minimum discount rate for LazCoins to 4.5%. If the current discount rate is below 4.5%, the system will automatically adjust it. Sellers can opt out of the new fee structure before March 6 via the Seller Center.

Source: Lazada

8. Shopify Upgrades Headless Store Feature

On February 28, Shopify announced the full upgrade of its headless store feature. Now, each headless store can offer different products and product categories to customers. Merchants can differentiate their operations based on target customer preferences in different markets. This update also refines the "headless" publishing channels in Shopify's backend, with each headless store now being treated as a separate channel, instead of just a "headless" category. The orders and backend areas of each store will also be synchronized.

Source: Shopify

9. Shopee to Focus on Free Shipping Plans in One Market

On February 28, Shopee's Vietnam seller management and business development head, Pham Duc Son, revealed that starting in Q2 2025, Shopee would implement shipping incentives across its entire platform, providing high-value free shipping codes for all sellers to boost sales performance. Additionally, Shopee will expand the "Zero Vietnam Dong Shipping for All Orders" plan to help sellers improve store conversion rates. Sellers who participate in the free shipping policy could see their income increase by 2-5 times. These initiatives aim to optimize the user experience, build customer loyalty, and promote sustainable development for sellers. Shopee also plans to improve support tools to help sellers adapt to the changing e-commerce market and grow their businesses on the platform.

Source: Shopee

10. Ozon's GMV Grows 64% in 2024

On February 28, Ozon Holdings PLC released its unaudited financial results for Q4 2024 and the full year. The company reported a 64% year-over-year increase in GMV, reaching 2.875 trillion rubles. EBITDA turned positive for the first time, reaching 40.1 billion rubles. E-commerce and fintech businesses performed strongly, with e-commerce GMV growing 64%, and active buyers increasing to 56.5 million. Apparel sales grew by 86%. Fintech revenue almost tripled, with active customers surpassing 30.3 million and loan volumes doubling to 89.1 billion rubles. Ozon expects GMV to grow by 30-40% in 2025, with EBITDA reaching 70 to 90 billion rubles.

Source: Ozon

11. Zhengzhou Airport Cross-border E-commerce Import/Export Business Completes 166 Million Orders

On February 28, Zhengzhou Airport's cross-border e-commerce import and export business reached 166 million orders in 2024, with a value of 25.85 billion yuan, an increase of 9.2 billion yuan compared to 2023, representing a 55.6% year-over-year growth, the fastest growth rate in Henan Province. Of this, the value of export business was 13.83 billion yuan, accounting for 53.5% of total imports and exports, marking the first time that exports surpassed imports, with a growth rate of 99.7%.

Source: China Daily

12. MSC Adjusts Asia to North America West Coast Route Network

On February 28, to ensure better connectivity between the Asia-North America West Coast routes, MSC announced adjustments to its ORIENT and CHINOOK services. The ORIENT service will now call at Busan and Portland, with the following port sequence: Qingdao (China) – Ningbo (China) – Shanghai (China) – Busan – Long Beach – Oakland – Portland – Busan. The CHINOOK service will add Ningbo, with the following port sequence: Vung Tau (Vietnam) – Haiphong (Vietnam) – Yantian (China) – Ningbo (China) – Shanghai (China) – Qingdao (China) – Busan – Seattle – Prince Rupert – Vancouver – Busan.

Source: MSC