Ecommerce monthly report · 2026-9
Blues19 News
Historical compilation: selected articles grouped by their original dates. Coverage may be incomplete; verify policies and deadlines against current announcements. Compiled:2026/10/10 11:08:07(Beijing time).
Middle East conflict drives up oil prices and freight rates to the United States as compliance requirements mount
This issue covers September 1–30, 2026. The most significant developments center on two themes. First, the Middle East conflict continued to escalate along the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Iran said it attacked 10 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, Houthi forces reached strategic islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Saudi Arabia’s Petroline pipeline was shut down as a precaution following an attack, with no restart date announced. Kpler data showed that only 9 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in a single week, far below the prewar daily average of approximately 125. Brent crude exceeded $100 several times in September and reached $107.46 on September 14, while retail diesel and gasoline prices also rose. Second, cross-border e-commerce compliance requirements and platform obligations increased across multiple fronts. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960 requires a uniform notice of the two-year legal guarantee to be displayed for goods sold in the EU starting September 27. The Council of the EU adopted customs reforms treating non-EU e-commerce platforms as importers. The vulnerability reporting obligations under Article 14 of the EU Cyber Resilience Act took effect, and Italy criminalized failures to oversee high-risk AI. Amazon announced that, starting November 2, it would remove monthly sales thresholds for safety-related categories such as children’s products, cosmetics, ingestible products, and lithium batteries, requiring $1 million in commercial liability insurance across the board. It also announced a policy requiring original manufacturer packaging for bundled products starting January 11, 2027. In logistics, spot freight rates from the Far East to the U.S. East Coast reached $11,259/FEU, approximately 325% higher than in late February, while spot rates for 40-foot containers from China to the U.S. East Coast exceeded $10,000. Berthing delays at Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan ports reached 10 days, and approximately 11.4% of global container shipping capacity was held up at anchorages. On tariffs, China and the United States agreed to mutually reduce tariffs on $60 billion worth of goods and extend their trade truce. Average effective tariffs fell after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that general tariffs imposed under IEEPA were invalid, and Macy’s received $116 million in tariff refunds.
Middle East conflict drives up energy prices and freight rates
Section overviewIran said it attacked 10 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. Houthi forces reached strategic islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and seized towns along the Red Sea coast. Saudi Arabia’s 1,201-kilometer Petroline pipeline was shut down as a precaution following an attack, with no restart date announced. Kpler data showed that only 9 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in a single week, compared with a prewar daily average of approximately 125 large merchant vessels. Brent crude exceeded $100 several times in September and rose to $107.46 on September 14, while the average U.S. diesel price increased to $6.23 per gallon. OPEC lowered its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2026 to 380,000 barrels per day, its fifth consecutive downward revision.
Tech Times Technology and Industry Trends09.14Saudi Petroline pipeline shut down after drone attack, U.S. diesel prices hit record high
On September 10, drones from the direction of Iraq attacked multiple pump stations at Riyadh and Medina on Saudi Arabia's east-west Petroline crude oil pipeline, and on September 11 the Saudi Ministry of Energy announced a precautionary shutdown of the 1,201-kilometer pipeline, without disclosing a restart date.
AJOT International Shipping, Ports and Freight Rates09.09U.S. and Iranian attacks on each other’s tankers disrupt passage through the Strait of Hormuz; Brent crude exceeds $100
Iran said it attacked 10 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz after the United States sank five Iranian oil tankers, marking the largest exchange of retaliatory attacks since the two sides went to war six months ago. The attacks pushed Brent crude futures above $100 per barrel for the first time since July, while the average U.S. retail diesel price rose above $5.94 per gallon on Wednesday. Rystad Energy chief economist Claudio Galimberti said oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz had fallen to as little as 2 million barrels per day, compared with 8 million to 9 million barrels per day in the week before fighting resumed on August 30.
Cyprus News European business and economy09.23Strait of Hormuz Explosion and Houthi Drone Incident Renew Tensions Along Two Key Middle Eastern Shipping Routes
Risks have intensified again along two key Middle Eastern shipping routes: an explosion of unknown cause occurred near Iran’s Qeshm Island, while the Houthis claimed to have shot down a Saudi drone near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. There is currently no indication that the two incidents are connected. Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply, with only two merchant vessels passing through on Monday, compared with an average of approximately 125 large merchant vessels a day before the conflict. The International Maritime Organization said it has verified 80 attacks on merchant vessels since February 28, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 seafarers.
Cyprus News European business and economy09.25Weekly Strait of Hormuz traffic falls to 9 vessels; 80 countries, including Cyprus, call for the restoration of free navigation
Preliminary Kpler data shows that only 9 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz this week, with 8 outbound and 1 inbound, below the previous day's figure of 14 and the 10-day average of 18. Before the hostilities began, approximately 125 large merchant vessels passed through the strait daily, carrying about 20% of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
AJOT International Shipping, Ports and Freight Rates09.10Escalating tanker attacks in the Middle East push Brent crude to $105 per barrel
Escalating tanker attacks in the Middle East raised supply concerns, pushing Brent crude up 4% on Thursday to $105.26 per barrel, while U.S. WTI exceeded $100 for the first time since May. Brent has risen more than 30% from its early-August low. The Houthis control Yemen’s port of Mocha, passage through the Strait of Hormuz is restricted, and OPEC cut its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2026 to 380,000 barrels per day, its fifth consecutive reduction.
Transport Topics: Transportation Tariffs and Compliance09.14Houthi attacks escalate; Brent crude rises to $107.46
As Houthi forces stepped up military operations in the Middle East's key energy shipping corridors, Brent crude rose 2.7% on September 14 to $107.46 per barrel, touching an intraday high of $109.80. Diesel rose 3 cents overnight to $6.23 per gallon, and the US average price for regular gasoline rose to nearly $4.32, compared with $4.08 a month earlier. A major Saudi oil pipeline will be out of service for several weeks after an attack last week, and the Houthis' capture of Greater Hanish and Little Hanish islands in the southern Red Sea has strengthened their control over shipping lanes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
NPR Illinois AI policy and technology news09.11Houthis seize strategic island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening Saudi Red Sea oil exports again
Yemen’s Houthis have seized the strategic island of Mayun at the southern end of the Red Sea’s Bab el-Mandeb Strait and stated that vessels other than Saudi ships can navigate safely, adding new uncertainty to a critical global shipping route.
Multiple EU compliance obligations take effect
Section overviewEU Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960 requires merchants selling goods in the EU to display a standardized notice of the two-year statutory guarantee in physical stores and online from September 27. The Council of the European Union has adopted customs reforms under which non-EU e-commerce platforms will be treated as importers, responsible for customs declarations, payment of duties, and ensuring products comply with EU standards. Fines for serious violations may reach 6% of the previous year's import value. The vulnerability and incident reporting obligations under Article 14 of the EU Cyber Resilience Act have taken effect, requiring manufacturers to submit an early warning within 24 hours and a detailed technical notification within 72 hours. On September 15, Italy published Legislative Decree No. 160, making the absence of safety measures or human oversight for high-risk AI a criminal offense.
EU requires sellers to display two-year legal guarantee notice in stores and online
European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960 stipulates that, starting September 27, 2026, all merchants selling goods to consumers in the EU must display a uniform two-year legal guarantee notice in physical stores and online, with the notice's layout, colors, and placement fixed and not subject to modification.
Cyprus News European business and economy09.06EU Council approves customs reform, treating non-EU e-commerce platforms as importers
The Council of the European Union has approved the largest customs reform in decades. Non-EU e-commerce platforms will be treated as importers, responsible for customs declarations, paying customs duties, and ensuring that products comply with EU standards. Serious violations may result in fines of up to 6% of the previous year's import value, as well as the withdrawal of customs privileges or restrictions on platform access.
Italy issues decree: lack of high-risk AI regulation becomes a criminal offense, companies involved may be banned from advertising
On September 15, 2026, Italy published Legislative Decree No. 160 in the Official Gazette, criminalizing the absence of safety measures or human oversight for high-risk AI systems, with penalties of up to one to five years in prison; tampering with high-risk AI systems and endangering life, safety, or public safety raises the penalty to two to six years.
Tech Times Technology and Industry Trends09.11EU Cyber Resilience Act vulnerability reporting obligations take effect; manufacturers must report exploited vulnerabilities within 24 hours
The mandatory vulnerability and incident reporting obligations under Article 14 of the EU Cyber Resilience Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/2847) have taken effect. Manufacturers selling connected products on the EU market must, upon becoming aware of an actively exploited vulnerability in a product, submit an early warning through ENISA’s single reporting platform within 24 hours and a detailed technical notification within 72 hours.
Amazon's New Insurance and Bundling Rules
Section overviewOn September 3, Amazon announced new commercial liability insurance requirements. From November 2, the monthly sales threshold will be removed for categories subject to enhanced safety requirements. Sellers with any active products in 11 categories, including children's products, cosmetics, ingestible products, and lithium batteries, must carry commercial liability insurance with limits of at least $1 million per occurrence and in aggregate. The requirement applies to both new and existing listings, with no grace period. Amazon also updated its product bundling policy: from January 11, 2027, most bundles sold under a single ASIN must be packaged by the original manufacturer or brand. Noncompliant listings will be removed and recorded as Account Health violations. Bundling will also be permitted in the books, music and video, and video games categories.
DAM Law Firm: Amazon Legal Matters and Account Compliance09.09Amazon's New Insurance Rules for 11 Safety Categories Take Effect November 2, Eliminating the $10,000 Monthly Sales Threshold
On September 3, Amazon announced two new commercial liability insurance requirements that will take effect on November 2. The first eliminates the monthly sales threshold for enhanced safety categories: as long as a seller has products listed in these 11 categories, regardless of monthly sales volume, they must carry at least $1 million in commercial liability insurance, and this applies to existing listings with no grace period; sellers of children's toys with $500 in monthly sales, dietary supplements with $800, or lithium battery products with $1,200 are equally subject to this requirement.
Amazon requires sellers in safety-related categories to carry $1 million in commercial liability insurance regardless of sales volume
Amazon announced on its seller forum on September 3 that, starting November 2, 2026, third-party sellers of products in enhanced safety categories, including children's products, cosmetics, ingestible products and lithium batteries, must carry commercial liability insurance with coverage of at least $1 million per occurrence and in aggregate, regardless of monthly sales volume. The requirement applies to both new and existing listings.
Amazon requires most bundled products to be in original manufacturer packaging, effective January 11, 2027
Amazon posted a bundled products policy update on its seller forum: starting January 11, 2027, most bundles sold under a single ASIN must be packaged by the original manufacturer or brand, and non-compliant listings will be removed and recorded as account health violations. The policy also opens up bundling for the books, music, video, DVD, and video game categories, allows gift cards, service plans, and secondary generic products to be included, and requires multi-brand consumable bundles to hold brand authorization letters; the notice did not specify applicable marketplaces, and the previous 2024 version of the policy was limited to the U.S. site.
beBOLD Digital: Platform Policy and Operations News09.14Amazon expands commercial liability insurance requirements: new category triggers and restricted insurance channels for mainland China sellers
Amazon announced that, starting November 2, 2026, it will expand commercial liability insurance requirements for Amazon.com sellers, adding category-based triggers beyond the original sales threshold. Children's products, cosmetics and ingestible products, and lithium battery products are examples of categories subject to enhanced safety requirements; the specific list is not exhaustive, and relevant sellers must obtain insurance even if their monthly sales are below $10,000.
Amazon updates its product bundling policy: starting January 11, 2027, most bundles must be packaged by the original manufacturer or brand
Amazon announced an update to its product bundling policy effective January 11, 2027. Most product bundles listed under a single ASIN must be packaged by the original manufacturer or brand, while some previous bundling restrictions are also removed. Bundles not packaged by the original manufacturer are still allowed in three cases: repackaging authorized by the brand owner or manufacturer with a letter of authorization, exempt categories such as the Gift Browsing node and the Camera category, and non-physical virtual bundles created through the Virtual Bundles tool.
U.S.-Bound Freight Rates and Peak-Season Surcharges Rise
Section overviewAs of September 17, spot freight rates from the Far East to the U.S. West Coast stood at $7,960/FEU, while rates to the U.S. East Coast reached $11,259/FEU, up 323.6% and 324.7%, respectively, from levels before the Strait of Hormuz crisis in late February. They were just 17.9% and 11.2% below their respective pandemic-era record highs. Spot rates for 40-foot containers from China to the U.S. East Coast exceeded $10,000. Typhoon Shandel made landfall in China three times. As of September 1, berth delays at Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan ports had reached 10 days, while approximately 3.92 million TEU of capacity worldwide, representing 11.4% of the fleet, was held up at anchorages. Amazon's Q4 peak-season fulfillment surcharge takes effect on October 15 and runs through January 14, 2027, averaging $0.32 per item, with actual charges ranging from $0.19 to $2.81. eBay announced temporary peak-season shipping surcharges from FedEx and UPS.
AJOT International Shipping, Ports and Freight Rates09.18Xeneta: Far East–US rates approach historical peaks, September US East capacity up 6% to 7%
Xeneta's weekly update shows that as of September 17, the Far East–US West spot rate was $7,960/FEU, and the Far East–US East rate was $11,259/FEU. Since before the late-February Hormuz crisis, the two routes have risen 323.6% and 324.7% respectively, just 17.9% and 11.2% below their pandemic-era historical highs.
DAM Law Firm: Amazon Legal Matters and Account Compliance09.18Amazon 2026 Q4 peak-season FBA surcharge takes effect October 15; actual fees exceed the $0.32 average
Amazon's 2026 holiday peak fulfillment surcharge takes effect from October 15 to January 14, 2027, averaging $0.32 per unit, but the actual range by size tier is $0.19 to $2.81 per unit. In addition to the $0.32, the 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge implemented from April 17, 2026 also applies, and peak storage fees for standard-size inventory of $2.40 per cubic foot start earlier, on October 1.
U.S.-bound ocean freight rates surpass $10,000 as peak-season capacity shortages and cargo rollovers become frequent
Driven by port congestion, low water levels in the Panama Canal and peak-season shipping demand, spot rates for 40-foot containers on key routes from China to the U.S. East Coast have surpassed $10,000. Xeneta data shows that the average spot rate for a 40-foot container from the Far East to the U.S. East Coast is $11,259, up approximately 325% from before the Strait of Hormuz crisis began on February 28. Drewry data shows that the Shanghai–New York rate has reached $10,394 per FEU, up 7% from the previous reporting period.
Tech Times Technology and Industry Trends09.05Typhoon Shandel makes three landfalls in China, with berth delays at Shanghai and Ningbo ports reaching 10 days
Typhoon Shandel made three landfalls in China. As of September 1, berth delays at Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan ports had reached 10 days, the worst since the pandemic. North Asian ports accounted for 54% of global port congestion, with approximately 2.5 million TEU of capacity waiting to berth. Globally, approximately 3.92 million TEU of capacity, representing 11.4% of the container fleet, was held up at anchorages. Freight forwarders recommend adding at least two weeks of buffer time to shipping schedules from China. Holiday goods such as toys, electronics, and apparel that are not loaded onto vessels by mid-September will not reach the U.S. West Coast before the November peak shopping season.
eBay official seller announcementsFirst-party09.22eBay announces temporary FedEx and UPS rate increases for the 2026 peak season
eBay announced that FedEx and UPS will impose temporary shipping rate increases during the 2026 peak season. FedEx's peak-season rates will apply from September 28, 2026, to January 17, 2027, and UPS's from September 27, 2026, to January 16, 2027.
Tariff Adjustments and Platform Rule Updates
Section overviewChina and the United States agreed to reduce tariffs on $60 billion worth of imports each, covering categories including U.S. corn and cosmetics and Chinese small household appliances and toys. Each side recommended approximately $30 billion worth of non-sensitive goods for more favorable treatment. China's Ministry of Commerce said the trade truce had been extended by two months to January 10. U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said on September 23 that the truce had been extended to January 10, 2027, but the USTR has yet to publish a Federal Register notice. The suspension of Section 301 port fees on Chinese vessels is still set to expire on November 9, 2026. Following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that IEEPA does not apply to general tariffs, the average effective U.S. tariff rate has fallen to slightly below 7% since March 2026. On the platform side, Google removed free shopping listings in the European Economic Area on September 17–18 to meet DMA requirements. Amazon Canada's AHR now awards additional points for customer service on seller-fulfilled orders, while Amazon Seller Assistant has added persistent memory and automated workflows.
AJOT International Shipping, Ports and Freight Rates09.28China and the US agree to mutually cut tariffs on $60 billion of goods and extend the trade truce by two months
China and the US agreed to cut tariffs on $60 billion of each other's imports, covering categories such as US corn, cosmetics and Chinese small household appliances and toys. US Trade Representative Greer said both sides recommended about $30 billion of non-sensitive goods trade receive more favorable tariff treatment, and the US said this would improve market access for about 30% of exports to China. China's Ministry of Commerce said the trade truce is extended by two months to January 10, leaving room for both sides to assess current arrangements; China and the US will also set up an agriculture working group and continue communication on AI incident communication channels, financial institution access and increasing direct flights.
Google moves Ads API access to Cloud projects and retires developer tokens
On September 10, 2026, Google moved registration and access management for the Google Ads API from the API Center of manager accounts to the Google Cloud Console. Access levels are now carried by Cloud projects, and developer tokens can still be sent in call headers but are ignored. Existing code can continue to run without modification.
CaixaBank Research: The new US tariff landscape and 2026 back-to-school tax rate estimates
CaixaBank Research reviewed the 2026 US tariff landscape: after the Supreme Court ruled general IEEPA tariffs invalid, the average effective US tariff rate has fallen to just below 7% since March 2026, a decline of 4 percentage points.
Google removes free shopping listings in the European Economic Area due to DMA requirements
Google removed free product listings and popular product carousels in the European Economic Area on September 17-18, ceding display space to comparison shopping services. Independent tracking tools recorded declines of roughly 90% to 100% in Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Tech Times Technology and Industry Trends09.29USTR Section 301 Chinese vessel port fee suspension still expires on November 9, Federal Register notice not yet published
US Treasury Secretary Bessent announced on September 23 that the China-US trade truce is extended to January 10, 2027, but USTR has not yet published a Federal Register notice on this, and the suspension of Section 301 port fees on Chinese-built and operated vessels still expires at 23:59 (US Eastern Time) on November 9, 2026.
Amazon Seller Assistant adds persistent memory and automated workflows, with integration into Amazon Quick and Claude
On September 23, 2026, Amazon added persistent memory and automated workflows that can run offline to Seller Assistant, the AI assistant built into Seller Central. Seller Assistant remembers sellers’ pricing patterns, inventory cycles, and growth goals, and maintains context across Seller Central, Amazon Quick, and Claude.
Amazon Canada adds AHR points for customer service performance on seller-fulfilled orders
Amazon Canada has updated its Account Health Rating (AHR), awarding up to 12 additional points for sellers' performance when they handle customer service themselves for Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) orders. The points are based on three customer service quality metrics: buyer contact rate, average contact response time, and buyer dissatisfaction rate. The buyer contact rate must be below 0.50%, the average response time below 12 hours, and the buyer dissatisfaction rate below 4.5%. Amazon stated that good performance on these metrics can only increase AHR scores, while below-average performance will not restrict selling privileges.