Optimizing Cross-Border Logistics Costs for Chinese SMEs in the U.S. Market: A Multi-Platform Comparative Analysis

Abstract

Amidst the rapid globalization of Chinese SMEs, Amazon FBA, TikTok Shop, and Walmart WFS have emerged as the three predominant channels for penetrating the U.S. e-commerce market. This study confirms that small and medium-sized sellers face growing pressures in overall logistics management, particularly among operators engaged in U.S.-focused cross-border business. The continuous tightening of the U.S. “321” small-value tax exemption policy, nationwide rollout of online sales tax, year-on-year rises in overseas warehouse rent and last-mile delivery charges, alongside divergent fulfillment and inventory rules across the three major platforms, collectively lead to such management difficulties. To the extent that existing research mainly focuses on individual platforms or large-scale enterprises and lacks targeted discussions for SMEs, this research fills the evident research gap in current literature. This paper adopts literature analysis, comparative analysis, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) on the basis of published academic journals, official U.S. Customs regulations, and studies concerning cross-border logistics models. It categorizes logistics costs into four core modules, including inbound transportation, overseas warehousing, reverse logistics, as well as cross-border taxes and fees, and further pinpoints key factors driving cost changes. The relevant analytical outcomes support the formulation of differentiated inventory deployment, warehousing, and distribution optimization schemes for each platform. The proposed solutions can deliver universal cost reduction guidelines for domestic small and medium-sized cross-border manufacturers