2026.08.10 Shopee Indonesia to Refund Taxes Withheld in Early August

01. Shopee Indonesia to Refund Taxes Withheld in Early August

After Indonesia's tax authority postponed the e-commerce platform income tax withholding policy, Shopee Indonesia local stores stopped collecting the tax from August 6 onward. Between August 14 and September 30, the platform will automatically refund in stages the taxes withheld from August 1–5 directly into sellers' account balances—no manual application required. Sellers can track the refunds via PC "My Balance > Adjustment Transactions" or app "Seller Balance > Transaction History." Tokopedia and Lazada are executing comparable refunds. For cross-border sellers, this offers timely cash flow relief, though they should monitor policy updates closely as authorities may revisit the withholding mechanism later.

02. Vietnam Prohibits Inland Customs Clearance for 12 Categories from August 14

Vietnam's Decision No. 31/2026/QĐ-TTg, effective August 14, 2026, requires 12 imported product categories—including household air conditioners, tobacco, alcohol, and passenger cars—to be declared, inspected, taxed, and released at the first port of entry, ending inland customs clearance. Clearance for hot-selling items like air conditioners may take 2–5 extra working days, with port storage and demurrage costs rising notably. Sellers on TikTok Shop and Shopee must accurately declare BTU parameters from nameplates, prepare energy-efficiency labels and testing documents in advance, and allow 3–7 days of buffer. The previous "enter Vietnam first, clear customs inland" workaround no longer applies.

03. Thailand H1 Exports Grow 17.6% as Electronics Lead Gains

Thailand's export total reached US$196.7418 billion in H1 2026, a 17.6% year-on-year increase, with June exports touching US$34.6559 billion (up 20.8%). Electronic products stood out as the key growth engine: computers, equipment, and components rose 47.9% to US$18.78193 billion, contributing 5.4 percentage points to overall growth. Fax machines, telephones, equipment, and parts jumped 169.0% to US$3.54737 billion. Machinery and parts, agricultural machinery, transformers, and copper and copper products also maintained steady momentum. For cross-border sellers, surging electronics demand across the region signals opportunities to expand product lines or sourcing partnerships in Southeast Asian supply chains.

04. Vietnam Sees Rise of "Never-Stop Enterprise" Trend Powered by AI

Vietnamese businesses are increasingly embracing the "never-stop enterprise" model, using artificial intelligence to achieve 24/7 operations while employees concentrate on strategy and innovation. According to UOB research, about 80% of Vietnamese enterprises have begun applying AI: 49% report improved labor productivity, 47% achieved cost savings, and 46% saw revenue growth. Roughly two-thirds of companies plan to raise AI investment budgets by over 25% this year. Experts stress that competitive advantage depends not on which AI model a business uses, but on providing contextual knowledge, experience, and human insight that machines cannot learn on their own. An AWS report indicates 18% of Vietnamese firms adopted AI in 2024, up 39% year on year.