Beyond Borders: 8 Things That Will Define Your Cross-Border E-Commerce Strategy in 2026 

Key takeaways from Anchanto’s webinar featuring Chloe Harris (Co-founder, Carriboo), Jonathan Matchett (Global Shipping Director, Passport), and Setry Rabejaona (Head of Solutions & Implementation EMEA, Anchanto)  moderated by Abhimanyu Kashikar, Co-founder & CGO, Anchanto. 

Your parcel crossed the border. The duty was paid. The customer is waiting. And somewhere along the way, your margin disappeared. 

That is the reality of cross-border e-commerce growth in 2026; not a crisis scenario, but everyday business. Governments are adding new rules. Tariffs are shifting. Costs are climbing. And cross-border e-commerce shipping, once treated as a logistics detail, has become a make-or-break part of how brands compete globally. 

Anchanto recently hosted a webinar on how the cross-border e-commerce market is changing and what businesses need to do about it. Here are 8 practical takeaways from the conversation. 

1. Change is happening faster than anyone has ever seen before

Chloe Harris opened with a simple but important observation: the logistics industry is changing faster right now than at any point in recent memory. New duty and tax rules, especially in the US, tighter data requirements and rising costs across the board are all hitting at the same time. The strategies that worked 18 months ago are already out of date. Businesses that haven’t updated their cross-border e-commerce strategy are already feeling it. 

“I’ve worked in logistics for several and I’ve never seen so much change in such a short period of time.” 

— Chloe Harris, Co-founder, Carriboo

2. Cross-Border E-commerce Growth is Now a Core Business Goal

Not long ago, selling cross-border was something brands did “on the side”, a bonus revenue stream. Jonathan Matchett pointed out that brands and merchants now treat cross-border as a primary growth channel, driven by a shift in consumer expectations. Shoppers worldwide expect to buy from global brands, a habit that grew through the pandemic and was further accelerated by social commerce.  

The cross-border e-commerce market is real, it is growing, and businesses that ignore it are leaving genuine revenue on the table. Building a successful cross-border strategy today requires deliberate decisions around market entry, localization and the right enabling technology. 

3. Government Regulation is a Sign That Cross-Border E-commerce is the Future

Trade wars, de minimis rollbacks, and new handling fees are frustrating to deal with. But Setry Rabejaona offered a different way to look at it: governments only regulate markets that matter. The fact that cross-border e-commerce shipping is now making headlines in policy circles is a sign of how big the opportunity has become. For businesses willing to invest in compliance and adapt their operations, this is a market worth competing in, not running from. 

“The very reason why governments all over the world are starting to mention it and even goes into the headlines, is because it matters. Because there’s an opportunity in it.” 

— Setry Rabejaona, Head of Solutions & Implementation EMEA, Anchanto 

4. It’s Time to Chase Margin, Not Just Volume

For years, the cross-border e-commerce conversation was about shipment volumes and order counts. The panel agreed it is time to shift the focus to profitability. When the US introduced new customs charges, estimates suggest up to 95% of the added cost was absorbed by consumers. Volumes stayed up, but the real cost burden was simply passed along. An example of which is when Italy imposed its own customs charges ahead of the EU, around 36% of shipping volumes quickly moved to hubs in Liege and Budapest instead. 

Chloe’s advice was straightforward; understand your true end-to-end costs, including customer service calls, carrier performance and returns, not just shipping line items. 

Anchanto’s breakdown of 6 practical insights for managing cross-border e-commerce goes deeper on this, including how adapting your shipping model and integrating operations software can directly impact your bottom line. 

5. Single-Carrier Strategies Are a Risk You Can No Longer Afford

When the US postal disruption hit, businesses that could quickly switch carriers kept shipping. Those locked into one carrier stopped. The panel all pointed to the same conclusion: cross-border e-commerce shipping today requires a flexible, multi-carrier approach. The good news is that consolidators have made this more accessible for mid-sized businesses. You no longer need to be a large enterprise to access a range of quality carriers. But flexibility has to be built in advance.  

As Setry put it, switching carriers mid-crisis is not something you can improvise in a few weeks.

6. Compliance is Non-Negotiable

A few years ago, HS codes, denied party screening, and restricted item rules were the domain of compliance specialists. Jonathan noted that this has shifted. Businesses across the board now understand that compliance is what keeps goods moving. It is not a box-ticking exercise but a basic requirement for operating in the cross-border e-commerce market.  

Getting this right protects your shipments, your relationships with carriers and your ability to keep selling in new markets. Successfully overcoming cross-border challenges requires tighter coordination between compliance, inventory management, and logistics execution. 

7. Hybrid Fulfilment is Reshaping Inventory Strategy

Cross-border shipping and in-country fulfilment do not have to be either/or choices. Chloe shared a practical approach that more retailers are using. Put fast-moving SKUs into local fulfilment centres, and continue to ship slower-moving, higher-margin products across borders. This lets you manage costs while still reaching customers quickly. Micro-warehousing, small forward inventory positions in markets like Poland or Italy, is gaining traction as a way to stay flexible without the full cost of setting up local operations. The key is speed of execution. As Setry noted, businesses that planned for this before regulatory changes kicked in were far better positioned than those reacting after the fact. 

The key is speed of execution. As Setry noted, businesses that planned for this before regulatory changes kicked in were far better positioned than those reacting after the fact. At scale, this depends on an efficient warehouse management system that enables real-time visibility and automated customs workflows. 

8. Technology is the Enabler if you Set it Up in Advance

The businesses navigating 2026’s cross-border e-commerce trends well are the ones that invested in technology before the disruptions hit. Carrier switching, route optimisation, compliance automation, demand planning, none of these can be built overnight when a crisis is already underway. Jonathan highlighted a genuine positive here: the technology tools available today have been democratised. Small and mid-sized brands can now access the same quality of solutions as large enterprises, from plug-in Shopify integrations to global inventory management platforms.

AI-driven demand forecasting was flagged as the next big shift, helping businesses predict where to hold stock across markets, which is increasingly a cash-flow question as much as a logistics one. 

“The extra uncertainty calls for extra resilience. For that, you need contingency, plans B, and the ability to switch.” 

— Setry Rabejaona, Head of Solutions & Implementation EMEA, Anchanto 

There’s a Lot More

Eight takeaways only scratch the surface.  

Sign up to watch the full webinar recording and get everything Chloe, Jonathan and Setry had to say about what’s reshaping cross-border e-commerce in 2026.