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Hi readers,
Lately, TikTok Shop has been on the headlines in Indonesia. The government, industry observers, and local media have concerns over the social commerce platform, which is believed to pose a threat to the country’s MSMEs.
The issue revolves around Project S, TikTok’s initiative to sell its own products on its app, similar to Amazon Basics. Many parties are worried that TikTok Shop will be flooded with foreign products and that its algorithms will direct users to its own items.
However, it’s worth noting that Project S itself is not available in Indonesia, as it is still in development in the UK. TikTok Shop also doesn’t have cross-border services for now.
Shopee and Lazada had similar issues in Indonesia, leading both firms to close their cross-border services for certain categories.
Nevertheless, these concerns might prompt TikTok to think carefully before bringing Project S to Indonesia, especially after the government announced plans to revise its online trade regulations and limit the sale of imported goods on ecommerce platforms.
— Jofie Yordan, journalist at Tech in Asia
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Image credit: Timmy Loen
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