AR Glasses Drive 600% Sales Spike on AliExpress; Trump Delays TikTok Ban for "TikTok America" Deal
Latest news and analysis on China’s global e-sellers
Here’s our pick for last week’s news:
Temu Goes Local in Australia
Temu Expands Semi-Managed Model to Malaysia
Temu Surges to Top 10 in Brazil
Trump Delays TikTok Ban for "TikTok America" Deal
AliExpress Launches Global Selling for Korean SMEs
Taobao Rides Growth Wave in Southeast Asia
Retail Giants Shift Tariff Costs to China Vendors
AuGroup Logs 23% Sales Growth in 2024
Top Amazon Seller Zibuyu Returns to Profit in 2024
AR Glasses Drive 600% Sales Spike on AliExpress
Aiper Secures 1 Billion RMB to Expand Global Pool Robot Market
Ex-Shein Exec's CAGUUU Secures Funding for Japan Market Push
China Rolls Out Tariff Retaliation on U.S. Goods
Hangzhou E-Commerce Zone Tops 200 Billion RMB in Trade
Temu Goes Local in Australia
Temu is inviting Australian businesses to join its platform as part of its fast-expanding "local-to-local" strategy, which connects domestic sellers directly with local buyers. Already rolled out in over ten markets including the US and UK, the model now targets Australia, where Temu has been named the country's fastest-growing website by Similarweb's 2025 Digital 100 report, with unique visitors surging 72% year-over-year.
Temu Expands Semi-Managed Model to Malaysia
Temu has launched its semi-managed model in Malaysia, letting merchants register and list products with more flexible logistics options. First rolled out in the U.S. in March 2024 and recently introduced to Southeast Asia via the Philippines, the model is already active in Austria, Romania, and Denmark. It allows sellers to focus on product offerings while choosing between overseas or their own warehouses to accelerate fulfillment.
Temu Surges to Top 10 in Brazil
Temu continues its strong momentum in Brazil, surpassing 151 million clicks in February and breaking into the country's top 10 e-commerce platforms since its May 2024 launch. It now ranks just behind Mercado Livre, Shopee, and Amazon. While Brazil's overall e-commerce market stayed flat, cross-border platforms had their second-best month ever — with Temu the only top-five player to post growth.
Trump Delays TikTok Ban for "TikTok America" Deal
On April 4, Donald Trump said he would delay the TikTok ban by 75 days as his administration pushes to form "TikTok America," a new entity licensing TikTok's algorithm from ByteDance. The proposed structure would give U.S. investors a 50% stake and ByteDance 19.9%. ByteDance confirmed ongoing talks with no final deal and major disagreements remaining. Oracle is leading a U.S. investor consortium, joined by a16z, Amazon, and AppLovin, all eyeing ByteDance's U.S. shares. TikTok earned $36B in non-China revenue in 2024, with one-third from the U.S.
AliExpress Launches Global Selling for Korean SMEs
AliExpress has launched a new Global Selling platform in South Korea to help local SMEs sell overseas, targeting rising global demand for Korean fashion, beauty, food, and K-pop goods. Backed by Alibaba's global business unit, the platform will first connect Korean sellers with buyers in the U.S., Spain, France, and Japan, reaching up to 150 million consumers, with further global expansion planned.
Taobao Rides Growth Wave in Southeast Asia
Alibaba's Taobao is gaining momentum in Southeast Asia, with its English app downloads surging 350% YoY in Singapore and 400% in Malaysia. Launched in September 2024, the English-language app marks Taobao's first non-Chinese version. To boost regional growth, Taobao has partnered with Lazada, launching a fashion channel and offering free shipping on apparel, while enhancing cross-border delivery via Alibaba's global logistics. As of February 2025, Taobao ranks sixth in Singapore and eighth in Malaysia, trailing key rivals but growing steadily.
Retail Giants Shift Tariff Costs to China Vendors
Walmart is reportedly pressing Chinese suppliers for price cuts of up to 10% in response to U.S. tariff policies under the Trump administration. Despite being warned by China's Ministry of Commerce on March 11 against shifting tariff burdens, Walmart has held its position. Other retailers like Target and Costco are also asking suppliers to absorb part of the costs. Target, for instance, asked one vendor to split tariffs 50-50. Meanwhile, Amazon sellers are raising prices to offset rising FBA fees, but nearly 60% still report lower profits year-on-year.
AuGroup Logs 23% Sales Growth in 2024
Shenzhen-based AuGroup reported 2024 revenue of 10.71 billion RMB ($1.47 billion), up 23.34% YoY, driven by strong sales in furniture, home appliances, and power tools, along with expanded logistics operations. Furniture and home appliances brought in 6.74 billion RMB ($922.20 million), rising 14.6%, while power tool sales jumped 113.6% to 740 million RMB ($101.25 million). Sales of consumer electronics and other products dipped 2% to 786 million RMB ($107.54 million).
Top Amazon Seller Zibuyu Returns to Profit in 2024
Zibuyu Group reported 2024 revenue of 3.325 billion RMB ($454.94 million), up 10.83%, with net profit surging 156.7% to 151 million RMB ($20.66 million)—marking a return to profitability. Gross profit rose 26.39% to 2.471 billion RMB ($338.09 million), driven by improved product operations and optimized inventory that cut impairment and storage costs. Around 98% of revenue came from third-party platforms like Amazon, Temu, and TikTok, while sales from its own DTC site dipped slightly to 28 million RMB ($3.83 million).
AR Glasses Drive 600% Sales Spike on AliExpress
AliExpress saw daily AR/VR eyewear sales surge 600% during its March anniversary sale, with brands like XREAL and Rokid driving growth. Emerging categories such as camping gear and Hi-Fi headphones also gained traction. The entry of Unitree Robotics further boosted consumer electronics, while the platform's "Big Save" initiative aims to help 1,000 brands surpass $1 million in sales this year. Key growth categories for 2025 include smart robots, energy storage batteries, AR glasses, IP toys, and scooters.
Aiper Secures 1 Billion RMB to Expand Global Pool Robot Market
Aiper, a leading pool robotics company, has raised nearly 1 billion RMB ($136.83 million) in a new funding led by Fluidra, with participation from Yunqi Partners and increased backing from existing investors like XVC and FOSUN RZ Capital. Aiper is already the top online seller and has entered over 7,000 major accounts across Europe and North America. CEO Wang Yang said the company will deepen its focus on mature Western markets while expanding into emerging regions such as the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.
Ex-Shein Exec's CAGUUU Secures Funding for Japan Market Push
CAGUUU, a cross-border furniture platform founded by former Shein Japan head Sam Liu, has raised 650 million yen ($4.41 million) in a Series A round, bringing total funding to 950 million yen ($6.45 million). The new funds will support team expansion, product development, and service upgrades. By partnering with Chinese manufacturers, CAGUUU aims to offer high-quality, affordable furniture to Japanese consumers, with plans to scale globally.
China Rolls Out Tariff Retaliation on U.S. Goods
In response to new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, China will impose an additional 34% tariff on all U.S.-origin goods starting at 12:01 PM on April 10, 2025. Existing tariff reduction policies remain in place, but the new tariff will not qualify for exemptions. Shipments that depart before the cutoff and arrive between April 10 and May 13 will be exempt from the new duty.
Hangzhou E-Commerce Zone Tops 200 Billion RMB in Trade
Hangzhou's Cross-Border E-Commerce Pilot Zone, China's first of its kind, has recorded over 200 billion RMB ($27.37 billion) in total trade over the past decade, with exports topping 150 billion RMB ($20.52 billion) and annual growth rates of 31.7% for overall trade and 43.9% for exports. The zone now supports 65,000 businesses and connects with over 200 countries and regions. It has become a model for China's 165 pilot zones across 31 provinces, accelerating the country's global e-commerce expansion.