China's E-commerce Giants Douyin and Tmall Tighten Rules for Cross-Border Brands

In a significant move to regulate the cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) market, major Chinese platforms Douyin and Tmall Global have released updated qualification requirements for international brands, which places strong emphasis on verifying overseas manufacturing and distribution channels. Douyin is currently soliciting public feedback on its draft rules until May 4, 2026, with sources indicating the new policy is expected to publish on May 11, 2026.

The revised policies from both platforms reflect a clear regulatory tightening aimed at protecting consumer rights and ensuring the authenticity of imported goods.

Douyin's New Requirements

On the Douyin Global Shopping platform, merchants will be required to undergo a comprehensive verification process for both their overseas production and circulation credentials. Key documents required to prove overseas production include:

• Factory registration certificates and production licenses (e.g., GMP certification).

• A direct production or processing agreement between the brand and the factory.

• Official Certificate of Origin.

• Customs declaration forms from the last 90 days.

To verify overseas circulation, brands must provide evidence such as a Certificate of Free Sale from the country of origin, along with one of the following:

• Offline wholesale proof (not applicable to health supplement, food for special medical purposes, or traditional nutrition): wholesale sales records from the past 90 days, clearly showing the brand name, product quantity, transaction amount, complete buyer and seller information, and transaction date.

• Offline retail proof: sales evidence from at least three different overseas brick-and-mortar stores, including store addresses, sales videos or photos, and receipts — with at least one store providing a sales video and at least two providing sales photos.

• Online sale proof: active product listings on well-known international e-commerce platforms, demonstrating the brand's sustained and stable overseas presence. The listings must show current availability, recent valid transaction records, and customer reviews.

Tmall Global's Updated Guidelines

Tmall Global has similarly enhanced its brand scrutiny requirements. For overseas production verification, sellers must submit production and processing agreements, customs declarations from the past 90 days, and a Certificate of Origin. To demonstrate overseas circulation, brands need to provide either video evidence from at least three overseas offline stores or active sales links on well-known international e-commerce platforms, explicitly excluding platforms like Temu, Shopee, and TikTok as sole evidence of international presence.

Industry Implications

These policy changes follow a widely publicized incident involving a counterfeit imported health supplement sold via CBEC. This case prompted swift regulatory action, with the State Administration for Market Regulation and other authorities convening talks with major e-commerce platforms to address lapses in merchant qualification verification and consumer protection against false advertising.

The most significant consequence of these new rules is a substantially higher compliance threshold for all CBEC brands. The stringent documentation requirements will effectively eliminate "pseudo-imports"— products manufactured domestically but falsely marketed as foreign goods to command a premium price. Legitimate international brands, particularly smaller ones or those operating under OEM/ODM models, will also face increased administrative burdens and costs in documenting their supply chain and overseas sales history.

In China, CBEC products are currently supervised as personal articles, allowing health supplements to be exempt from formal registration or filing. As a result, CBEC has long served as a key import channel for health supplements. However, given the increasingly stringent regulatory environment and ongoing policy uncertainty, overseas companies are strongly advised to complete formal health food registration or filing to support long-term market development. REACH24H Consulting Group has extensive experience assisting global companies with administrative approvals in this area. Please feel free to contact us for further information.