In the industry exchange and research conducted by Hugo Cross-border at the end of 2025, it was found that more and more cross-border e-commerce sellers want to layout the Latin American market in 2026.

When it comes to the reasons, on the one hand, it is due to geopolitical factors between China and the United States, forcing sellers to seek new growth; on the other hand, after several years of exploration, some sellers have verified the methodology for layout in Latin America.

For example, the protagonist we are going to meet today, she brought 10 years of supply chain experience into this blue ocean. Relying on the approach of "slower and steadier", she achieved a sales volume of hundreds of millions in the MercadoLibre Mexico market.

She is Huang Chongxia, a partner of Guangzhou Five Classmates Supply Chain Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Five Classmates), known as the good sister Huang in China, a female cross-border e-commerce entrepreneur, and a practitioner of supply chain and brand going global.

This practitioner who has a deep understanding of the Latin American market jokingly calls herself a "naive player", not chasing trends but only matching degree. From the supply chain executive of Luokoko Group to the leader of Amoeba in cross-border head enterprises, and now leading the team to break into Latin America, every step of Huang Chongxia has been on the pulse of the Latin American market.

Having been deeply involved in MercadoLibre's Mexico site for more than three years, she led her team to incubate 10 proprietary brands, covering categories such as toys, 3C digital, and auto parts, delivering a brilliant sales report with a turnover of over 100 million in 2025.

Recently, Hugo Cross-border had an in-depth conversation with Huang Chongxia, who shared without reservation her practical experience in compliance, logistics, product selection, localization, team management, etc., in the Latin American market, as well as her methodology and core views accumulated over the years.

Huang Chongxia's entrepreneurial path in Latin America has not been a smooth ride. On the contrary, the pitfalls she encountered when she first entered the industry could fill a "Latin American Pit Avoidance Guide".

Huang Chongxia told Hugo Cross-border that at the beginning, she ambitiously wanted to create a localized brand, heavily invested in hair removal devices, spent money on overseas warehouses, applied for brands, but because of lack of operational experience and inadequate cooperation with partners, the overseas warehouse model directly failed.

Later, she switched to self-shipped products, and the Brazilian site did well, but then the tariff policy suddenly changed, and the store traffic and sales volume were cut in half overnight. Worse still, she used automated tools to list a batch of big brand products, and at the end of the year, the platform ruthlessly cleared the links and closed many stores.

"That period really made me anxious to sleepless nights." Huang Chongxia recalled the setbacks in the early days of entrepreneurship, but there was no complaint in her tone, instead, she felt a bit lucky, "It is these pitfalls that made me understand the survival rules of the Latin American market - do not bet on the policy window period, do not be greedy for speed, do not be greedy for quantity."

Learn from the setbacks, after falling countless times, Huang Chongxia summarized her own methodology for deep cultivation in Latin America.

1. Compliance: No luck, can go far

The compliance threshold of the Latin American market has made countless sellers retreat. Take Brazil as an example, it used to take 4-6 months to apply for a CNPJ tax number, market information is opaque, and tax policies change at will. The new regulations implemented by Mexico in 2026, such as cross-border small package tax increase and platform withholding and payment of taxes, have made many sellers panic.

But Huang Chongxia was well prepared. Her principle is: do not bet on the policy window period, plan compliance in advance. Five Classmates has already settled the qualifications of local stores, compliance declaration, and financial structure splitting in advance.

"In the short term, compliance will indeed increase costs, but in the long run, this is the premise of making the business more stable and replicable," said Huang Chongxia.

2. Logistics: Diversify risks, put eggs in different baskets

When it comes to Latin American logistics, many sellers' first reaction is: headache. Cargo loss and robbery are common, and the situation where customs brokers run away causing the logistics provider's capital chain to break is not uncommon. The rise in logistics costs for medium and large-sized goods in 2025 has added to the burden of many sellers.

But Huang Chongxia has her "combination punch": use multiple logistics to ensure the stability of core SKU, and control costs by combining self-shipped products for some categories. She chose two long-term cooperative logistics providers, not minding the low price, but valuing trust and long-term cooperation, and often communicates with the logistics provider's boss to establish a deeply bound relationship.

3. Product Selection: Only Recognize "Repurchase" and "Controllable"

In terms of product selection, Huang Chongxia's approach is different from many sellers. She doesn't ask "Is this category popular?" but asks two questions: Does it have repurchase space? Can the supply chain be controlled in the long term?

"After answering these two questions clearly, we will enter the brand incubation stage," explained Huang Chongxia.

Product × Supply Chain × Operation, Indispensable

If product selection, logistics, and compliance are the "foundation" of Five Classmates, then the growth model of "product design × supply chain efficiency × platform operation" is the "troika" supporting the company's rapid development. As a veteran with 10 years of supply chain experience, Huang Chongxia's understanding of this model is deeper than anyone else's.

1. Let the three links run in one rhythm

In the growth model of "product design × supply chain efficiency × platform operation", what Huang Chongxia values most is collaboration. She believes that product, supply chain, and operation are important individually, but what really makes a difference is whether they can run in one rhythm.

2. Do business first, then build a brand

When it comes to brand incubation, Huang Chongxia's view is very practical. "It's about shipping first, then building a brand. At the beginning, we will ship many categories, such as office, home, toys, etc. Which category sells well, we will register a brand for this category and form a dedicated team to delve into it," said Huang Chongxia.

3. Team Management: Localization Practice of Amoeba Model

As the former head of the Amoeba department of the cross-border head enterprise's Latin American business, Huang Chongxia integrated the essence of the Amoeba model into the team management of Five Classmates. The Amoeba model emphasizes autonomous operation and efficient collaboration, which is particularly important for markets like Latin America with slow rhythms and many variables.

Latin America is not a trend, it is a long-term business that needs deep cultivation

In Huang Chongxia's view, the most attractive thing about the Latin American market is not explosive growth, but its "authenticity". She summarized three core characteristics of the Latin American market: Demand truly exists, competition is not so extreme, suitable for long-term business.

Three Truths of the Latin American Market

The first truth: The demand truly exists and is still growing. Huang Chongxia emphasized that the growth of the Latin American market is not due to policy dividends or short-term trends, but is driven by population structure and consumption habits. There are many young people here, online consumption habits are being cultivated, which is friendly to long-term brand building and repurchase. The second truth: Competition is not so extreme, and there is still room for medium-sized sellers. Unlike the European and American markets, the Latin American market has not been completely monopolized by head sellers, and medium-sized sellers still have the "space to slowly do one thing well". The third truth: The Latin American market is suitable for those who are willing to do long-term business. "It's not fast, but as long as the model runs through, the compound interest is obvious," said Huang Chongxia. "I have been doing cross-border for so many years, and a very important turning point is to realize that not all markets are suitable for long-term business. What Latin America gives me is the feeling that it has pitfalls, but it's not a dead end."

Three Soul-Search Questions for New Sellers

For new sellers who want to enter the Latin American cross-border e-commerce, especially the MercadoLibre Mexico site, Huang Chongxia proposed three soul-search questions: Matching of capabilities and resources: Can this market amplify your advantages or expose your weaknesses? Ability to accept the real market rhythm: Can you adapt to the logistics turnover and cash flow speed of the Latin American market? Willingness to settle down and do it: Do you want to try it, or do you want to personally engage in long-term business?

Survival Rules of Chinese Brands in Latin America: Stability and credibility are more important than low price

Nowadays, brand going global increasingly emphasizes "localization". Huang Chongxia believes that the core competitiveness of Chinese brands to achieve long-term establishment in the Latin American market is not low price, but stability and credibility.

Rough Sellers Will Be Eliminated

In 2026, the scale of Latin American e-commerce is expected to exceed 200 billion US dollars, and platforms such as MercadoLibre are also advancing strategies such as AI assistants