Online shopping takes place around the clock and around the world. This global market for ecommerce transactions now accounts for a significant share of international trade. Cognitive Market Research estimates steady growth for cross-border commerce over the coming decade, reaching a $18.6 trillion market value by 2033.
If your company has business-to-business (B2B) sales, you’ve probably considered joining the expanding world of B2B cross-border ecommerce. Adopting an international B2B ecommerce strategy helps you reach a vast customer base. Here’s how to structure your ecommerce platform for cross-border selling.
Overview: B2B cross-border ecommerce in 2026 (Why it matters now)
Selling B2B internationally is a trillion-dollar opportunity, but in 2026, buyers' expectations look very different. About 73% expect the same convenient online experience they have in B2C on your B2B ecommerce site.
At the same time, the regulatory landscape for tariffs, taxes, and payments has become more volatile. Staying competitive means overcoming three major developments:
- Fundamental changes to US import costs and the end of de minimis
- Evolving VAT collection policies in the EU (IOSS)
- A rapid infrastructure shift in cross-border payments
The end of the US de minimis
The biggest change to landed costs in 2025 was the suspension of the US de minimis rule. The long-standing $800 duty-free threshold has been removed. As of August 29, 2025, all low-value imports now incur duties and fees.
The volatility began earlier in the year, when duty-free treatment was first suspended for packages from China and Hong Kong, a policy that was later expanded to all countries by late August.
These changes push enterprises to display the total landed cost at checkout (duties delivered paid, or DDP) or clearly disclose that the buyer is responsible for all post-purchase charges (duties delivered at place, or DAP). Have your merchandising and logistics teams review the official CBP factsheet for updates on duty, tax, and HS-code assignments.
EU VAT and the direction of IOSS
In the EU, the situation is more of a “watch this space.” The current IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop) mechanism for sales of consignments less than €150 (non-excise) remains in place.
However, on May 13, 2025, EU finance ministers agreed on a draft directive to encourage wider IOSS adoption. A move toward a broader, more streamlined VAT collection process is underway, so track the timelines closely.
The B2B payments infrastructure shift
Globally, B2B payments are moving beyond the card-first mindset. New instant, bank-to-bank (A2A) payment rails are launching, promising lower costs and faster cross-border settlement.
While over 70 countries have their own fast, near-zero-cost domestic instant payment systems (IPS), the challenge is getting them to communicate across borders. This is what Project Nexus aims to solve. The project is inspected to go live in 2026 and enable cross-border payments in under 60 seconds.
But there is still global hesitation about efficacy. The Financial Stability Board’s 2025 progress report notes that the G20’s 2027 targets for payment cost and speed are unlikely to be met, as costs remain stubbornly high.
The takeaway for your business is that accepting cards alone can hurt conversion. B2B buyers expect local, instant options. To protect your conversion rates, include the payment methods your buyers actually use—whether that’s A2A, digital wallets, or specialized B2B invoice and buy now, pay later (BNPL) options.`
What is B2B cross-border ecommerce?
B2B cross-border ecommerce refers to businesses in different countries buying and selling goods or services online. B2B cross-border ecommerce uses digital platforms, websites, and online marketplaces to facilitate exchanges, regardless of the businesses’ locations.
Commerce platforms like Shopify B2Bhelp brands succeed in cross-border B2B by creating a more streamlined buying experience and reducing operational costs.
Benefits of B2B cross-border ecommerce
A B2B cross-border business model can offer several significant benefits to ecommerce businesses. Here are some key advantages:
- Access to new markets and customers: Cross-border sales open the door to entirely new markets and customer segments. Cross-border ecommerce can be especially beneficial if the domestic market is saturated or there’s a demand for your products and services in international markets.
- Diversification and risk mitigation: Diversifying your customer base across different countries can reduce the risk associated with economic fluctuations or market-specific challenges in one region. If business slows in North America but surges in the Asia-Pacific region, your cross-border ecommerce strategy can help offset the slowdown.
- Competitive advantage in your market segment: Entering new markets via cross-border ecommerce can provide a competitive advantage. Businesses that enter foreign markets establish brand visibility and customer loyalty before other international competitors arrive.
- Product life extension: Products reaching the end of their life cycle in one market might have extended life cycles in other regions. Cross-border ecommerce lets you shift to international markets when a product loses its luster at home.
- Year-round demand and seasonality: Ecommerce businesses can take advantage of seasonal variations in demand by selling in different countries with varying climates and holiday seasons. For example, a North American swimwear business can target markets in the Southern Hemisphere during the summer months of December through March.
- Economies of scale: International expansion can lead to economies of scale in production, procurement, and logistics, potentially reducing costs per unit and increasing overall profitability.
Best practices for B2B cross-border ecommerce
International expansion can lead to new customers and business growth for your B2B ecommerce operation. The process requires legwork and attention to detail. Here are five strategies to ensure successful B2B cross-border expansion:
Conduct market research
First, analyze the demand for your products and services in your target market. You’ll need to run a competitive analysis, identifying gaps in the market that your products and services can fill. Study competitors’ pricing strategies and positioning, which may vary based on local economies and consumer expectations.
Choose the right ecommerce platform and payment gateway
Opt for a flexible and scalable ecommerce platform that supports multiple languages, multiple currencies, and international shipping. You’ll also want a payment gateway that supports multiple currencies and offers secure transactions compliant with international standards.
Beyond this, look for platforms that let you tailor your catalog for different markets. For example, you may want to show one product line to customers in North America, but not to customers located in Australia.
Similarly, offer different currencies, languages, shipping and payment options, and products without having to open a new store for each. This work becomes complicated and unscalable when you’re expanding to new markets.
Shopify offers industry-leading ecommerce functionality and an app store filled with international B2B solutions, making it a strong choice for many cross-border businesses. As Singaporean luxury watch strap brand Delugs grew internationally, they faced a few challenges:
- Cross-border friction: Confusing international pricing and duties for their global customers, with 40% of business from the US.
- B2B complexity: A clunky wholesale process that forced retail partners to use discount codes on the B2C site.
- Buyer confusion: Customers were ordering incorrect strap sizes, leading to high returns.
After consolidating their ecommerce operations onto Shopify, Delugs used Shopify Managed Markets to localize pricing, currency, and duties for different countries, and B2B on Shopify to create a dedicated wholesale portal with custom catalogs and pricing. After the switch, Delugs saw a 58% year-over-year increase in their checkout conversion rate and a 14% increase in returning customers.
“With the tools, apps, and custom development we can do on the Shopify Plus plan, we can tailor the website according to how customers shop,” says founder of Delugs, Kenneth Kua.
“One of the biggest outcomes for Delugs has been the customer experience and the shopping journey. It’s easier now for customers to find the right watch, find the correct size, and then find complementary products such as buckles suitable for their timepiece. Before Plus, there was no easy way for us to do that.”
Optimize your website for international customers
Translate your website content into the local languages of the target market. Use region-specific formats for dates, addresses, and contact information. Display prices in the local currency to provide clarity and transparency to international customers. Clearly state taxes, shipping costs, and delivery times for international orders.
Offer localized customer support and service
Recruit and train a customer service team or support center that can handle inquiries and issues from international customers. Post a comprehensive FAQ section in different languages on your website. This FAQ can address common questions and concerns of international customers.
Ensure legal compliance
Adhere to all trade policies, taxes, and compliance requirements in the target country. Consult with local legal advisors to ensure compliance with laws, tax regulations, and data privacy requirements in each country where you do business.
Duties and taxes
Most countries use the WTO's valuation method, which is based on the transaction value, or what your buyer actually paid. Be sure that the value you declare to customs matches your enterprise resource planning (ERP) order values, including any discounts, freight, and insurance, to prevent costly reassessments.
US de minimis
The impact of the US de minimis removal was immediate, with some reports showing international postal traffic dropped by roughly 80% in the weeks following the change.
Here is a quick checklist for how to stay compliant:
- Switch to DDP for US deliveries to provide a clear, landed cost at checkout.
- Ensure you capture accurate HS codes and customs values for every single line item.
- Update all your US pricing and quoting models to account for the new duties.
- Coordinate with your carriers and brokers on the new entry procedures.
VAT validation
The process and expectations for a B2B sale differ significantly from a B2C or prosumer sale.
Implement a system to verify the buyer's VAT number. The invoice you send must have the correct information—including their VAT number and yours—so they can account for the purchase on their end.
The biggest difference is between DDP and DAP. A large enterprise buyer might have its own customs broker and prefer a DAP shipment to manage clearance. A smaller B2B buyer might expect a fully landed (DDP) cost with no friction. Know your buyer and offer the right option based on their needs.
Challenges of B2B cross-border ecommerce
Expanding B2B ecommerce across borders presents several challenges, including language and cultural barriers, payment and currency issues, and shipping and logistics complications. Here are some common challenges and strategies for navigating them:
Language and culture
Understanding and adapting to cultural nuances, business etiquette, and preferences can be challenging. Consider enlisting professional translation services to ensure accurate communication of essential documents, contracts, and product information. Educate your team on the norms and practices of the target market to build effective business relationships.
Payment and currency
Dealing with multiple currencies and managing exchange rate fluctuations can affect transaction costs and revenue. You may also encounter varied preferences regarding payment methods and gateways for online sales. A good B2B unified commerce platform lets you support local bank transfers, digital wallets, and B2B-specific invoicing or net terms.
Tackle this head-on with a payment system that supports multiple currencies, allowing companies to make B2B purchases in their local currency. Consider a dynamic pricing model that adjusts prices based on real-time currency fluctuations and market conditions.
💡Tip: Look for a payment gateway that lets you lock in the exchange rate at the moment of the transaction, so there is no lapse between the buyer’s click and the funds settling in your account.
Shipping and logistics
As a B2B international shipper, you must navigate customs processes and import/export regulations. Meanwhile, high shipping costs and long delivery times may deter customers. B2B buyers also have service-level expectations—for example, reliability and a predictable delivery date matter more than speed, as they manage their own inventory
Save time by working with reputable logistics companies experienced in international shipping. You can also negotiate shipping rates with international carriers to minimize costs and improve delivery efficiency.
💡Tip: Use a resource like the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) to set realistic delivery windows based on a country's customs efficiency and infrastructure.
Quick checklist: Launching B2B in a new country
- Define your logistics model. Use the LPI to pick carriers, set your delivery service level agreements (SLAs), and define your returns policy at the same time.
- Set your landed cost promise. Decide whether to show an all-inclusive price (DDP) or let the buyer pay on arrival (DAP).
- Configure all tax and duty logic. Set up your US de minimis rules, your EU IOSS flow for B2C, and your B2B VAT validation process. Platforms like Shopify Managed Markets can help automate duty and tax calculation at checkout.
- Prepare your product data. Store HS codes for every SKU and ensure your system can automatically pass this data, plus country of origin and value, to your brokers.
- Localize the commercial experience. Create your country-specific price lists and enable the local payment methods that B2B buyers in that market expect.
- Enable B2B workflows. Configure company accounts, net terms, PO payments, and quick-order lists. Shopify B2B brings these features together on the same platform as your DTC store.
- Update checkout disclosures. Based on your DDP/DAP choice, update your messaging to be clear about who pays for what, especially for the US market.
- Run a measured soft launch. Test everything with a limited catalog and a few key buyers. Monitor your LPI benchmarks, payment acceptance, and duty accuracy.
Conquering cross-border ecommerce with Shopify
This article has outlined several of the real growing pains associated with selling globally. Businesses must continually understand the nuances of the markets they’re expanding into, tailor storefronts to each market’s preferences, and correctly estimate and collect duties and taxes at checkout.
These are just a few reasons why some of the world’s largest retailers rely on Shopify to simplify their global expansion. Shopify includes several built-in features that enable merchants to sell globally from a single store and admin, including:
- Contextualize store content: Shopify lets you customize product content, prices, and payment methods by country or region with Managed Markets.
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Customizable catalogs: Shopify makes it easy to set custom pricing and exchange rates for each country or group of countries you target.
Customer-specific shipping and payment methods: Using Shopify Functions for delivery and payment, merchants can customize the shipping and payment methods for each region or for each customer. - International domains: Merchants can leverage localized domains or subfolders optimized for search results in the regions they sell into.
Cross-border ecommerce FAQ
What are some of the top marketplaces for B2B cross-border ecommerce?
Alibaba, DHgate, eWorldTrade, and Faire are among the top B2B marketplaces for cross-border ecommerce.
How do I identify the right international markets for my B2B business?
Identify the right global markets for your B2B business by conducting market analysis. This includes competitor assessments, an understanding of local demand and customer pain points, and research into customer purchasing power.
What payment methods should I offer to international B2B customers?
Offer your international B2B customers various payment methods, including bank wire transfers, credit cards and debit cards, ACH debits, electronic funds transfer (EFT), electronic checks (eChecks), and mobile payments. The Shopify POS (point-of-sale) system supports many payment methods and may be a strong choice for international B2B ecommerce.
What are some key logistics considerations for B2B cross-border shipments?
Among the logistics considerations for B2B cross-border shipments are factors like customs compliance, taxes and tariffs, shipping carriers, inventory management, warehousing, risk management, and managing customer returns.
What technologies can I use to streamline B2B cross-border operations?
Many emerging technologies can streamline B2B cross-border operations, including enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, supply chain management (SCM) software, customer relationship management (CRM) software, and flexible ecommerce platforms that support international currencies.
