BUSINESS

Foreign E-Commerce Platforms Pitch Themselves to Chinese Merchants

Published: Jun. 19, 2025 7:34 p.m. GMT+8

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The 8th Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Festival and the 10th Shenzhen International Cross-Border E-Commerce Trade Expo both kicked off on June 16 in the Guangdong province city. Photo: SZ-CBEA

European, Asian and Latin American cross-border e-commerce platforms are stepping up efforts to attract Chinese merchants as U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports remain high despite a temporary truce in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

This trend was evident at the 10th Shenzhen International Cross-Border E-Commerce Trade Expo earlier this week, where online retailers including Russia’s Wildberries, South Korea’s Coupang and Argentina’s MercadoLibre tried to sell Chinese vendors on the benefits of doing businesses on their platforms.

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Cross-border e-commerce platforms in Europe, Asia, and Latin America are intensifying efforts to attract Chinese merchants amid persistent high U.S. tariffs.
Major platforms like Wildberries, Coupang, Rakuten, and MercadoLibre are offering incentives such as reduced fees, logistics support, and streamlined onboarding processes.
Despite a temporary U.S.-China tariff truce and lowered U.S. tariffs on small parcels, many Chinese vendors are increasingly seeking international markets.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

Wildberries: Wildberries is a Russian cross-border e-commerce platform that aims to attract Chinese merchants. It has established a dedicated China merchant services center in Shenzhen, offering support in training, customer service, and brand development to help Chinese vendors enter the Russian market. Russia's e-commerce market is projected to be one of the fastest-growing globally, with significant profit potential.

Coupang: Coupang is a South Korean e-commerce platform that boasts over 21 million users and offers same-day and next-day delivery services. It is expanding into categories like small home appliances and consumer electronics. Coupang highlights South Korea's high internet usage and significant GDP per capita, predicting continued growth in the country's e-commerce market.

Rakuten Group Inc.: Rakuten Group Inc., a Japanese e-commerce company, has simplified its registration process and expedited approvals for eligible merchants. Its business development manager, Wu Boying, highlighted that Rakuten, alongside Amazon.com Inc., commands over 70% of Japan's e-commerce market, suggesting strong potential for vendors on their platform.

MercadoLibre Inc.: MercadoLibre is actively recruiting Chinese merchants, allowing them to sell goods in significant Latin American markets like Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina. The company offers incentives such as lower commission fees and logistics subsidies to attract these vendors, as it aims to expand its reach and product offerings.

Otto: Otto is identified as a cross-border e-commerce platform from Germany. It was one of the platforms present at the Shenzhen International Cross-Border E-Commerce Trade Expo.

Cdiscount SA: Cdiscount SA, a French e-commerce platform operating for roughly 30 years, was present at the Shenzhen International Cross-Border E-Commerce Trade Expo. It specializes in mobile phones, toys, and home appliances, product categories where Chinese manufacturers are particularly strong.

Amazon.com Inc.: Amazon.com Inc. is mentioned in the article as controlling over 70% of Japan's e-commerce market alongside Rakuten Group Inc. This information highlights Amazon's significant presence in the Japanese e-commerce sector.

AI generated, for reference only