Release Date: 25 September 2026
Source: Official Announcements from TikTok Shop Global Cross‑Border Merchant Center
As the Q4 peak consumption season draws near, TikTok Shop has rolled out multiple policy adjustments throughout September covering core markets including the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia. Significant changes have taken place in performance assessment, compliance supervision, logistics infrastructure, merchant incentives and campaign mechanisms, bringing notable operational impacts to cross‑border sellers based in Hong Kong, China.
In the US market, the highly anticipated new Store Performance Score (SPS) entered trial operation on 21 September and will go fully live on 15 October. Two new high‑weight metrics — Item Satisfaction Rate and Free‑Shipping Coverage Rate — have been added to the evaluation framework. According to platform rules, a minimum SPS of 3.5 is required for merchants to qualify for this year’s Black Friday‑Cyber Monday (BFCM) campaign. The score also directly governs organic traffic allocation, campaign slot resources and creator collaboration eligibility. Industry practitioners recommend sellers seize the trial‑operation window to manage negative reviews and increase the share of free‑shipping SKUs in preparation for the Q4 peak season.
Meanwhile, category compliance requirements in the US site keep tightening. Starting 30 September, mandatory vehicle‑fitment parameters must be completed for auto‑parts, tyre and motor‑oil listings. Items with incomplete information will fail publication when uploaded via API. The BFCM promotion runs from 11 November to 30 November (US Pacific Time). The platform will automatically extend the post‑sale return window for campaign‑related orders; the latest customer return date is 10 February 2027. The platform has re‑affirmed rules for POP self‑operated cross‑border stores: direct end‑consumer shipping from mainland China or Hong Kong to the United States is not permitted. All orders must be fulfilled from US‑based overseas warehouses. In addition, the new intelligent marketing product SP has been officially launched. It adopts a store‑wide GMV commission model with a regular rate of 3.5%, rising to 4.5% during major sales events. Coupons and user subsidies are centrally provided by the platform, making it suitable for merchants aiming for aggressive peak‑season sales growth.
For the UK and European markets, the mandatory DG (Dangerous Goods) review policy took effect on 22 September. For high‑risk categories such as batteries, aerosol sprays and flammable liquids, new listings must include complete dangerous‑goods attributes together with SDS (Safety Data Sheet) and UN38.3 transport test reports. Existing inventory listings are required to submit full documentation within the specified period; non‑compliant products will be forcibly delisted. The highly‑anticipated UK‑EU Inter‑Operability function for fulfillment‑by‑partner merchants is undergoing small‑scale grey‑box testing and is scheduled for full roll‑out on 19 October. Once launched, FBP merchants can sell identical overseas‑warehouse inventory to both the UK and multiple EU member states without opening separate stores, substantially reducing multi‑market stocking and operational costs. Industry advice urges merchants to finish overseas‑warehouse stock‑in by the end of September to capture BFCM opportunities.
Regarding market‑entry policies, the local‑FBP programme for Germany, France, Italy and Spain has officially removed the invitation‑only requirement. Enterprises holding a Hong Kong Business Registration Certificate may submit applications directly via the official website, provided that the relevant national VAT registration is completed in advance. The 2026 Black Friday campaign expands to 16 European countries in total. Eight emerging markets — Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Greece — are participating for the first time. The FBP model will receive priority traffic support from the platform.
Southeast Asia remains a core destination for Hong Kong cross‑border sellers and has also introduced several operational rule updates this September. The store‑dormancy policy came into force on 17 September. A store will be marked inactive by the system if there is no backend login, order processing or other activity for 67 consecutive days. If an administrator does not log‑in for seven consecutive days, buyers contacting customer service will see a dormancy notification, and prolonged inactivity may trigger sales‑permission restrictions. Merchants planning a temporary business suspension are strongly advised to enable Vacation Mode in the backend to avoid dormancy penalties.
Important logistics upgrades went live on 23 September: the Malaysia‑warehouse‑to‑Singapore fulfillment lane is now operational. Goods stored in Malaysian warehouses can be shipped directly to Singapore consumers, cutting transit time by 1‑2 days. Previously restricted categories including liquids and health‑supplements are eligible for this service, alongside reduced last‑mile shipping fees. This represents the most beneficial logistics update for Southeast Asia in Q4.
On‑boarding incentives under the Flywheel Programme remain valid. New Southeast‑Asia cross‑border stores registered with a Hong Kong entity must manually claim benefits in the Mission Centre within 30‑days of opening. Eligible merchants can enjoy up to 90‑days of deposit exemption and a maximum 120‑day commission‑waiver period, with a commission‑free GMV cap of USD 1,000. Benefits expire automatically if not claimed on time. In terms of logistics guidance, the platform continues to push merchants toward warehouse‑based operations while scaling‑back traffic for pure‑drop‑shipping models. Traffic priority is given to official JJT logistics, regional warehouses and overseas warehouses. Goods stored in Hong Kong warehouses receive near‑overseas‑warehouse‑level traffic weighting within the system. Nevertheless, Hong‑Kong‑warehouse fulfillment follows cross‑border rules and does not grant local‑store privileges.
Industry analysis highlights two clear trends ahead of the Q4 shopping festivals. First, compliance thresholds are rising across the globe. Origin documentation, safety test reports and tax certificates have become essential operational prerequisites. Second, warehousing and the FBP fulfilment model are being heavily promoted by TikTok Shop, leaving shrinking room for businesses relying solely on direct remote drop‑shipping. For Hong Kong‑based export enterprises, besides improving products, warehousing and live‑stream creator operations, it is critical to keep company documents — Business Registration Certificate, Annual Return and SCR Significant Controller Register — valid and up‑to‑date. Recently, the platform has increased AML (Anti‑Money‑Laundering) inspection frequency. Anomalies in corporate documentation may lead to payment withholdings and, in severe cases, store termination.
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