How a Handful of Carriers Shape the Cost of Shipping From China to Europe
The price of moving a single 40ft container from China to Northern Europe has swung from roughly 1,500 US dollars before the pandemic to more …
Cross-border Commerce
Cross-border e-commerce strategies, platforms, payments, and international fulfillment.
Shein’s IPO Price Tag Is Sinking as the EU Crackdown Finally Bites
Shein walked into its final pre-IPO hearing in Hong Kong today carrying a much smaller number than it once expected. The fast-fashion giant is chasing …
Why Shein and Temu’s Latin America pivot likely stalls against MercadoLibre through H1 2027: 3 signals
Shein and Temu’s Latin America expansion likely stalls into a costly standoff with MercadoLibre through H1 2027, not a repeat of their European share grab. Three signals, from the de minimis squeeze to Shein’s faltering Brazil factory hub, explain why.
The parcel that pays no tax: how China’s DDP machine drives a lorry through EU customs
Billions of undervalued DDP parcels enter the EU almost unchecked, dodging duty and VAT while local retailers pay in full. How the loophole works, and why the EU keeps waving it through.
Why the EU’s July de minimis fee will not slow Temu and Shein: 3 signals
The EU scraps its low-value customs relief on July 1, 2026, but three recent signals suggest the fee will not slow Temu and Shein’s European growth this year. Expect adaptation through local fulfillment rather than retreat, with their EU growth likely still positive through Q3.
Belgium’s online spend hits €18.3bn: local shops miss the growth
Belgian shoppers spent a record €18.3bn online in 2025, up 5.4%, according to the Becom Market Monitor. Yet domestic webshops grew only 3.43%, barely above inflation, as Chinese platforms and foreign marketplaces absorbed most of the new spending.
EU formally ends duty-free threshold for low-value imports: what Shein, Temu and DTC sellers face from July
EU finance ministers scrap the 150-euro duty-free threshold. From 1 July every consumer parcel into the bloc faces a minimum 3-euro customs duty, closing the unit-economics gap that powered ultra-fast-fashion marketplaces.
Incoterms 2026 for retail importers: DDP versus DAP
DDP looks simple because the supplier handles duty, but it quietly inflates your unit cost and hides who controls the customs clearance. This guide breaks down DDP versus DAP under Incoterms 2026 with real landed-cost numbers, liability splits, and the negotiation language retail importers actually use.
Tools and vendors for cross-border commerce in 2026
Trade deep dive: Tools and vendors for cross-border commerce in 2026.
The 2026 cross-border compliance changes worth tracking
Trade deep dive: The 2026 cross-border compliance changes worth tracking.