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TikTok to expand e-commerce business into Mexico and major Western European markets amid scrutiny in the US, EU
- The popular social media platform has started to invite merchants for a beta run of TikTok Shop in Mexico, France, Germany, Italy and Spain
- This development would broaden the presence of TikTok Shop to a total of 13 markets worldwide
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Coco Fengin Beijing
TikTok is poised to expand its e-commerce operations into Mexico, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, as the ByteDance-owned short video platform remains under scrutiny in the United States and the European Union.
The global hit social media platform has started to invite merchants for a beta run of TikTok Shop in those markets before the in-app feature’s expected official launch this summer, according to three people familiar with the matter.
TikTok Shop, however, has tightened its criteria for merchants, one of the people said. Those eligible for Mexico, for example, must have a locally-registered entity and would initially be restricted from selling certain types of goods, such as food and jewellery.
This development would significantly broaden the presence of TikTok Shop, an in-app feature that enables users to buy goods directly from the platform, to a total of 13 markets worldwide.
It would also mark an accelerated pace of expansion for TikTok Shop, which had dropped plans in 2022 to open its online marketplace in France, Germany, Italy and Spain after operations in the United Kingdom failed to meet internal targets and attract influencers, the Financial Times reported at the time.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
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