Overseas customers flock to Chinese online marketplaces

As a new form of foreign trade, cross-border e-commerce has served as a vital channel for Chinese enterprises to expand overseas, Zhang said. "Price, quality and service are the most important factors consumers consider when buying products, and cost-effective goods have shown some obvious advantages amid global economic downward pressures."

An increasing number of Chinese merchants are now making use of cross-border e-commerce platforms to sell products globally, which provide a new way for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to boost their global reach and build up new brands, he added.

"A core advantage of Temu and Shein lies in products with competitive prices and fast delivery, which is highly reliant on the establishment of supply chains," he said, adding platforms that provide good shopping experiences and after-sale services will gain an upper hand amid increasingly fierce international competition.

Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy, said in order to mitigate the impact of the tariff hikes, Chinese e-commerce platforms should invest more in establishing overseas warehouses, accelerate steps to expand their footprint in more diversified and emerging markets, and strengthen cooperation with international logistics companies to improve delivery efficiency and lower logistics costs.