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TikTok Shop Launches "Mei Tong Mo" Cross-Border Initiative, Enabling Direct Shipment of U.S. Inventory to the Mexican Market

TikTok Shop Launches "Mei Tong Mo" Cross-Border Initiative, Enabling Direct Shipment of U.S. Inventory to the Mexican Market

News2026-01-17

On January 17, TikTok Shop announced the launch of its "Meitongmo" cross-border initiative, which is expected to officially go live in April this year.

The plan adopts the "Direct Mail from US Warehouses to Mexico" model as its core approach, enabling merchants to ship directly from warehouses within the United States to Mexican consumers. By eliminating the need for sellers to pre-establish local warehouses or business entities in Mexico, it facilitates cross-border e-commerce between the US and Mexico, serving as a key initiative for the platform to expand its presence in the Latin American market and enhance its global fulfillment network.

From the perspective of access rules, "Meitong Mo" is not fully open but is open to registration for eligible sellers on the U.S. and China platforms, including U.S.-based sellers, Chinese sellers registered in the U.S., and mainland Chinese companies. The platform requires that the recent service rating (SPS) of relevant stores be no lower than 3.5 points, with different registration processes applicable to different types of entities:
Domestic sellers in the U.S. can directly access the project entry in the backend and apply with one click; U.S. ACCU sellers (U.S. entity with Chinese legal person) and U.S. CCCU sellers (Chinese entity with Chinese legal person) must complete a specialized questionnaire after meeting the rating requirements to undergo review.

Meanwhile, the platform has introduced additional requirements for ACCU and CCCU sellers to pay deposits, aiming to strengthen performance and compliance constraints.

During the pilot phase, TikTok Shop implemented a tiered management approach for the categories of sellable products.
Among them, men's wear, women's wear, sportswear, luggage and bags, eyewear, watches, pet supplies, daily household items, and 3C electronics are classified as "open categories.";

Beauty and personal care products are classified under the "restricted category" and require a COFEPRIS operating license for a Mexican entity, along with proof of an affiliated relationship with a U.S. entity;

Toys and children's clothing for ages three and above fall under the "Invitation-Only Category," requiring activation through platform account managers;

Adult products, e-cigarettes, medical devices, health supplements, and maternal and child products for children under three years old are explicitly listed as "banned categories," with some categories only available to domestic sellers.

At the product operation level, the "Meitongmo" plan supports both modes of product information synchronization and independent operation.
In the first mode, sellers can synchronize existing product images, videos, and details from the US site to the Mexican site with a single click, and quickly list them after completing necessary Spanish translations. The second mode allows sellers to create product listings specifically for the Mexican market, enabling them to set pricing and marketing strategies independently. The platform aims to provide greater flexibility to businesses of varying sizes and operational capabilities through this dual-track approach.

In terms of price control, TikTok Shop has set clear limits for this initiative: the price of a single product must not exceed 3,500 pesos (approximately $170), and the maximum transaction amount is capped at 5,200 pesos (approximately $290), to mitigate compliance and fulfillment risks for high-priced goods in cross-border transactions.

Logistics and customs clearance arrangements are one of the core highlights of this plan.
According to the rules, sellers must stock the goods in U.S. warehouses in advance, whether it's their own warehouse, a third-party overseas warehouse, or a TikTok-designated warehouse. After Mexican consumers place an order, the goods will be shipped directly from the U.S. warehouse to Mexico. TikTok Shop will collaborate with logistics providers such as DHL and MailAmericas to offer end-to-end cross-border fulfillment services. Official calculations show that the delivery time can be shortened from the original 15–30 days to 3–7 days, significantly improving the cross-border shopping experience.

During the customs clearance process, the platform uniformly adopts cross-border logistics solutions officially recognized by Mexico, eliminating the need for merchants to handle complex customs procedures themselves. Under current regulations, packages with declared values below $50 are exempt from tariffs, while amounts exceeding $50 are subject to a 17%-19% import tax, primarily consisting of Mexico's Value Added Tax (IVA). The logistics service provider assists in collecting and remitting the relevant taxes on behalf of the merchants.

To enhance merchants' participation enthusiasm, TikTok Shop has introduced a series of supporting measures.

On one hand, non-Mexican sellers are exempt from local company registration and tax ID application requirements, and there is no need to establish warehouses in Mexico, significantly lowering overall compliance thresholds and providing a practical pathway for small and medium-sized sellers to enter the Latin American market.

On the other hand, the platform has pledged to accelerate the capital recovery process, enabling cross-border order payments to be settled within seven days after confirmation and receipt, which helps alleviate sellers' cash flow pressure.

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TikTok Shop Launches "Mei Tong Mo" Cross-Border Initiative, Enabling Direct Shipment of U.S. Inventory to the Mexican Market