Industry Context
The cross-border e-commerce industry has been facing challenges this year. First, the U.S. increased tariffs; then Italy demanded high VAT guarantees from Chinese sellers. G7 countries may soon follow with unified trade barriers on Chinese goods. Although a U.S. trade court recently ruled against additional tariffs, the policy was re-implemented within 12 hours. The U.S.-China trade tension eased for only 3 weeks before conflicts resumed.
Despite these challenges, we believes that Chinese sellers can still thrive globally due to China’s strong supply chains, competitive labor, and fast learning ability. But for each seller, capital and time to trial-and-error are limited — making strategic decisions more critical than ever.
Weekly Insights:
-
Analysis of new markets Chinese sellers are exploring
-
Why China’s cross-border sellers must still focus on the U.S. market
-
High-potential product categories on Amazon U.S.
-
A Chinese seller’s success story of going from Amazon to U.S. supermarket shelves
Part 1: Analysis of New Markets Explored by Chinese Sellers
Since the U.S. tariff hike in April, Chinese sellers have tried several strategies:
-
Listing products across multiple countries and platforms
-
Increasing investment in European markets
-
Exploring platforms in South Asia, Russia, and neighboring countries
However, Italy has started requiring a €50,000 VAT guarantee, and other countries may follow. The risks of blindly following “alternative markets” are high — especially if products are already shipped to affected countries like Italy.
🧭 Market Deep Dive:
Russia: Declining male population due to war and extended sanctions have hit sales and profits.
Southeast Asia: Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop had a gold rush from Chinese sellers. But after Indonesia banned TikTok sales, profitable cases are now rare.
“Stan” countries: Markets like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan have:
-
No unified language (except partial Russian)
-
Combined population of ~70M (only slightly more than Canada)
-
Unclear customs rules that increase risk
👉 Conclusion: Even Canada may be a better option than these high-risk markets.
Part 2: Why Cross-Border Sellers Must Still Focus on the U.S.
Smaller sellers and traditional exporters are wary of U.S. policy and seeking alternatives. Here’s a quick global comparison:
① Market Size (GDP):
Top markets: U.S., China, Germany, Japan, India, UK, France, Italy, Canada
② Consumer Spending Power (GDP per capita):
Top countries by spending power: Luxembourg, Ireland, Switzerland, Singapore, Macau
But when combining size + spending:
U.S. #1, Canada #2, Germany #3, UK #4, France #5
③ Import Dependency:
U.S. is the largest importer by far—double Germany and 4–6x other major nations.
Even with 30% tariffs (including fentanyl-related tax), the U.S. doesn’t demand VAT prepayments or constant audits like the EU does. Bottom line: the U.S. remains the largest, most accessible market.
Part 3: High-Potential Amazon Categories in the U.S.
The Amazon U.S. market is saturated. But there are still promising niches, especially in food and beverage:
🍘 1. Snacks:
Japanese snacks dominate “Asian Snacks” on Amazon. Prices are high, and demand is huge. Chinese snack sellers could thrive here, especially with distribution rights from well-known Chinese brands.
🍵 2. Tea:
Dominated by big brands and Vietnamese/Fujian sellers. But new Chinese bagged teas with innovative flavors may have potential—especially if they match Western tastes.
🧃 3. Beverages:
Mostly controlled by U.S. giants (Coke, Pepsi), but Japanese beverages also do well. Chinese drinks are rare, yet popular “internet celebrity drinks” from China could succeed if brought to Amazon U.S.
🥣 4. Sauces:
An underserved niche. Asians love cooking with sauces, but supply is low outside major Chinatowns. For example:
-
Lao Gan Ma sells ~20,000 units/month
-
“Flying By Jing” (by Chinese-American founder Jing Gao) also sells ~20,000/month—at a higher price per oz
Case Study: Flying By Jing
Why it worked:
-
Positioning: Authentic Sichuan chili sauce marketed for both Chinese tastes and Western pairings (e.g., pizza, pasta, sandwiches, ice cream)
-
Brand Building: Clean website with only a few SKUs for brand authority
-
Social Media: Collaborated with influencers on YouTube and TikTok
-
Samples: Offered taste tests and mini-pack options to ease Western customers into trying it
Outcome: Flying By Jing sauces are now sold at Costco and other U.S. supermarkets.
✨ Summary: Empower Your Global Growth with Hui Creative Services
In today’s rapidly shifting e-commerce landscape, brands in Asia need more than just great products to succeed internationally. You need a strategic partner who understands the rules of Amazon, the culture of Western markets, and the unique challenges faced by sellers from this region.
That’s exactly where Hui Creative Services comes in.
We are an Amazon SPN-authorized agency and proud recipient of TikTok Shop’s 2024 Premium Partner Award. With offices in both China and Canada, we offer hands-on, localized support for everything from account setup and listing optimization to content production, ads strategy, and marketplace expansion.
Whether you’re a first-time seller or an established manufacturer aiming to scale globally, we tailor our services to help you thrive across Amazon, TikTok Shop, Temu, Shein, and more.
👉 Choose Hui Creative Services — Your Fast-Track to Global E-commerce Success
Let’s work together to turn your brand into the next 20,000-orders-a-month success story.
Contact us today to get started.
Email: info@leadspro.ai
Services: www.leadspro.ai
https://www.linkedin.com/company/huicreative
