Xiaohongshu Announces Global E-commerce Expansion, Now Covering the US Market

Chinese lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu (rednote) on March 11 announced its “Overseas E-commerce Pioneer Program,” designed as a comprehensive cross-border solution for merchants.

The program integrates online transactions, export trade, cross-border payments, and localized operations into a full-service chain to help businesses reach global users. Upon joining as an overseas merchant, sellers can showcase their products across multiple channels including posts, livestreams, and stores within Xiaohongshu’s content ecosystem.

The initial phase of Xiaohongshu’s overseas e-commerce program currently covers countries and regions like the United States, Hong Kong, and Macau markets. However, the program remains in internal testing, with only select merchants receiving invitations to participate. The platform has not yet opened applications broadly, though sellers can check their invitation status through Baidu‘s Qianfan platform.

SEE ALSO: Xiaohongshu to Open Hong Kong Office, Focus on Globalization

One likely motivation behind Xiaohongshu’s US e-commerce push was the influx of “TikTok refugees” earlier this year. According to Similarweb data, on January 13, Xiaohongshu reached approximately 3.4 million daily active users on iOS and Android platforms in the US, even briefly topping the US App Store’s free application download chart on January 14.

These new international users discovered products through browsing posts and began inquiring when the Xiaohongshu store would be available to foreigners. The platform even published guides teaching overseas users how to shop on their platform, while some content creators and shipping warehouses started introducing products and services in English.

Despite Xiaohongshu’s US daily active users decreasing after the TikTok ban was temporarily suspended, merchants remain optimistic about its cross-border e-commerce business. Some sellers appreciate that Xiaohongshu’s logistics support eliminates the need to coordinate with shipping warehouses, while others hope the platform will expand its e-commerce business to more countries and regions.

In recent years, the most active Chinese internet companies in the US e-commerce market have become Xiaohongshu’s biggest competitors: SHEIN has strong supply chain capabilities as it continuously expands categories through fast fashion; Temu attracts consumers with extreme value for money; and TikTok has taken the lead in replicating the content-commerce model in the US.

Report