As overseas restocking season kicks into gear, Cainiao and 4PX overseas supply chain teams are upgrading U.S. delivery services while expanding warehouse capacity. Cainiao has formed strategic partnerships with major U.S. carriers to provide high-quality last-mile delivery for large merchants, and launched an AI-powered routing service that helps small and medium-sized sellers automatically select the best last-mile carrier.
Nationwide Carrier Coverage Strengthens Last-Mile Performance
Across the United States, all Cainiao warehouses are now connected with major American carriers, ensuring key metrics such as tracking adoption and delivery timeliness meet the requirements of e-commerce platforms and end consumers.
For smaller merchants, Cainiao introduced an AI last-mile optimization service in the U.S. that recommends the most suitable carrier for each shipment. Based on historical order comparisons, the service saves merchants 3%–13% on most lanes and weight brackets, with savings of up to 40% in certain regions.
Distributed Warehouse Network Across Core U.S. Regions
In North America, Cainiao’s overseas supply chain operates local warehouses in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In the U.S. alone, the network spans core regions including Los Angeles, New York, Houston, and Savannah.
To support peak-season restocking, U.S. overseas warehouses are expanding usable capacity through multiple approaches. Beyond one-piece dropshipping (drop-ship fulfillment), Cainiao warehouses offer a range of value-added in-warehouse services, supporting both direct-to-consumer fulfillment and B2B truck delivery.
“We see that both Chinese cross-border merchants and U.S. local sellers are building multi-channel operations in America — both online sales and supplying traditional offline retailers such as Costco and Walmart,” said Chen Taotao, Vice President of Cainiao Group and General Manager of the Overseas Supply Chain Business Unit. Cainiao is replicating its China capabilities — factory-to-consumer, one-stop, full-channel coverage — in the U.S. market.
Automation and Digital Tools Keep Ramping Up
Throughout this year, Cainiao has opened new warehouses across major global markets and deployed self-developed automation equipment such as four-way shuttle robots and climbing robots to boost efficiency. It has also launched an online cost calculator so smaller merchants know their expected costs before using an overseas warehouse. To date, Cainiao operates more than 70 overseas warehouses across 18 countries and regions.
What This Means for U.S. Overseas Warehouse Sellers
For cross-border e-commerce sellers, this industry update confirms two clear trends:
1. Last-mile capability is now the core competitive edge of any overseas warehouse. First-leg freight costs are relatively transparent, but last-mile speed and pricing directly determine seller margins. Choosing a warehouse provider with deep carrier partnerships is key to protecting your account health metrics.
2. Peak-season stocking should start early. Leading providers are already expanding capacity for the restocking wave. Sellers should plan inbound schedules ahead of time to avoid warehouse congestion and delayed put-away during the peak season.
Source: Yibao Network / CifNews (August 2026)