Daily Cross-Border E-Commerce Briefing | September 9, 2025
1. Temu to Slash U.S. Prices by Up to 60% in a Comeback Push
- Bloomberg reports that Temu is rolling out deep U.S. discounts after months of tariff
turbulence, with tracked best-sellers down an average of 18% vs. late April and some items
discounted as much as 60%. The timing follows the end of the de minimis exemption on August 29,
reshaping landed costs and consumer price anchors across budget categories. For Shopify/WooCommerce
merchants running one-piece dropshipping, expect intensified price comparisons on entry-level SKUs
and faster churn on “deal” traffic. Counter with transparent landed pricing (tax + shipping shown up
front), clearly stated ETAs with live tracking, and easy first-order trials; protect margins by
replacing blanket free shipping with threshold-based incentives and AOV-building bundles.
Source: Bloomberg, Published on: September 9, 2025
2. Google Says the “Open Web” Is in Rapid Decline as Adtech Remedies Loom
- In a court filing ahead of the adtech remedies phase, Google acknowledged the “open web is
already in rapid decline,” contrasting months of public reassurances. The Verge notes the Department
of Justice is seeking structural changes to Google’s ad business while platforms like connected TV
and retail media accelerate. For independent DTC stores, this means greater reliance on
platform-owned surfaces and more volatile CPC/CPA. Action plan: double down on first-party data,
server-side tagging/conversions, and long-tail content that answers buyer intent (materials, sizing,
fulfillment, returns). For one-piece dropshipping, add delivery-time FAQs and policy blocks to PDPs
to improve SEO and conversion quality signals.
Source: The Verge, Published on: September 8, 2025
3. Amazon Takes a Stake in Rappi to Strengthen LatAm Last-Mile
- Amazon’s strategic investment in Colombian delivery app Rappi pairs the e-commerce giant’s
retail and cloud infrastructure with one of Latin America’s best-known last-mile networks. Bloomberg
highlights that access to Rappi’s couriers should sharpen speed and coverage in urban centers,
raising consumer expectations for delivery SLAs. Cross-border one-piece dropshippers shipping from
China into LatAm should update country/state-level ETAs, disclose remote-area surcharges, and
localize COD and wallet options where relevant to mitigate failed deliveries and returns.
Source: Bloomberg, Published on: September 9, 2025
4. Amazon Ends Legacy “Prime Invitee” Free-Shipping Sharing on Oct 1
- CNN Newsource (via NBC Palm Springs) reports that Amazon will discontinue the Invitee perk
that let members share free shipping with non-household adults, steering users to household-only
“Amazon Family.” Expect more Prime shoppers to comparison-shop off-platform for price + delivery
promises. Independent stores should emphasize full landed costs at checkout (duties/taxes +
shipping), show delivery windows and real-time tracking, and use cart threshold bars to replace
blanket free shipping without sacrificing unit economics—especially for single-item dropship
orders.
Source: NBC Palm Springs (CNN Newsource), Published on: September 8, 2025
5. UPS Fuel Surcharges for Sept 8–14: U.S. Ground at 20.50%
- UPS has posted the weekly fuel-surcharge table showing U.S. Domestic Ground at 20.50% for the
week of September 8–14, with prior weeks at 20.25%. Even minor percentage shifts can erode margins
on light parcels typical of one-piece dropshipping in apparel and accessories. Best practice: sync
shipping calculators weekly, expose “DDP vs. DDU” options in checkout, and run A/B tests on
prepaid-tax pricing to reduce post-purchase friction and chargebacks from surprise
duties.
Source: UPS Fuel Surcharges (U.S.), Published on: September 8, 2025
6. FedEx Adds U.S. Inbound Processing Fee to FICP From Sept 22; Surcharge Updates Posted
- FedEx China’s Service News confirms that starting September 22, a U.S. Inbound Processing Fee
will be charged on FedEx International Connect Plus (FICP) shipments imported into the U.S., on top
of earlier surcharge adjustments tied to tariff changes. One-piece dropship brands should update
rate tables and PDP shipping notes before the effective date, split heavy/high-value SKUs away from
small-parcel flows, and clearly communicate any seasonal surcharges at checkout to prevent disputes
and refunds.
Source: FedEx China — Service News, Published on: September 8, 2025
7. Maersk Issues Peak Season Surcharge: Indian Subcontinent & Middle East → U.S. East & Gulf
- Maersk’s September 8 rate announcement introduces a Peak Season Surcharge on lanes from the
Indian subcontinent and Middle East into the U.S. East Coast and Gulf. Ocean volatility tends to
cascade into air/express pricing within weeks. For cross-border sellers, lock short-term (2–4 week)
rates where possible, separate heavy/oversize items from your small-parcel stream, and build safety
buffers into promised delivery windows—especially for single-item dropship listings with tight
SLAs.
Source: Maersk Rate Announcement, Published on: September 8, 2025
8. Stripe & Paradigm Unveil “Tempo,” a Payments-First Stablecoin L1 (Private Testnet)
- Payments outlet The Paypers reports Stripe and Paradigm are collaborating on “Tempo,” a
stability-focused layer-1 blockchain designed for cross-border payments, remittances,
microtransactions, and machine-to-machine payments. While early, merchants targeting high-dispute
regions could pilot a multi-rail checkout mix—cards + local wallets + stablecoins—to benchmark auth
rates, FX costs, and refund/chargeback deltas against current processors before peak
season.
Source: The Paypers, Published on: September 8, 2025
9. Temu Adds 12.5% More European Users in H1; France and Spain Lead Growth
- Ecommerce News Europe, citing Temu’s DSA transparency report, says EU monthly users averaged
115.7M in H1—up 12.9M vs. H2 last year—with France (+19.4%) and Spain (+15.6%) pacing growth. For
independent stores, marketplace price anchoring will be stronger across EU fashion, home, and small
electronics. Differentiate with faster handling times, quality assurance messaging, and localized
returns. For one-piece dropshipping, keep SKU pages lean but comprehensive: materials, sizing, care,
duty/tax policy, and delivery windows to win comparison shoppers from marketplaces.
Source: Ecommerce News Europe, Published on: September 8, 2025
10. Why Shopify Stock Jumped 16% in August—What It Signals for Merchants
- The Motley Fool attributes Shopify’s August surge to a strong Q2 print, improving rate-cut
expectations, and analyst upgrades. Beyond the ticker, merchants can infer continued platform
investment in payments, conversion tooling, and enterprise features. Practical takeaway for
independent stores: prioritize official/native integrations for checkout and tracking, enable
server-side conversion measurement, and use post-purchase upsells to defend contribution margin on
single-item orders as ad markets fluctuate.
Source: The Motley Fool, Published on: September 8, 2025
