Cross-border E-commerce
Reach overseas consumers via marketplaces or your own store
Definition
Selling to overseas consumers via marketplaces or a direct site, fulfilled by direct mail or overseas warehouses.
Suited for
- Consumer brands
- Long-tail, multi-SKU catalogues
Common legal structures
- Home entity store
- Overseas subsidiary store
- Overseas warehouse service contract
Preparation
- Check marketplace seller entity requirements
- Check low-value import and marketplace tax rules
- Product compliance and labelling
Limitations
- Exposure to platform rule changes
- Some categories restricted or require certification
Tax notes
- Many countries require foreign sellers or platforms to collect VAT/GST
- Inventory in local warehouses may trigger local tax registration
Key risks
- Consumer protection and returns rules
- Data and privacy compliance
- IP infringement complaints
Steps
- 1Choose marketplace or own site
- 2Decide seller entity
- 3Tax registration
- 4Product compliance review
- 5Logistics and warehousing
- 6Go live