Alibaba Accelerates in the U.S. Market with AI Despite Trade Tensions

Despite ongoing tariff pressures and geopolitical uncertainties between the U.S. and China, Alibaba.com continues to expand its presence in the American market, driven by the adoption of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

U.S. Businesses Still Rely on Overseas Suppliers

On September 3, Alibaba.com hosted its annual CoCreate conference in Las Vegas, attracting over 3,500 American buyers, nearly double the attendance from last year. The majority of participants were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), highlighting strong import demand in the U.S. despite government calls to “reshore” production.

“Ultimately, it comes down to supply and demand,” said Zhang Kuo, President of Alibaba.com, in an interview with Nikkei Asia. He emphasized that while geopolitical challenges remain, U.S. businesses continue to source products from abroad.

Alibaba.com reported that global orders on its platform increased by around 30% year-on-year, while U.S. orders surged by more than 20%. Today, over 8 million American SMEs buy or sell through the platform, making the U.S. one of its largest buyer markets.

Another driver of growth is stockpiling: many U.S. firms rushed to secure inventory after the Trump administration announced tariffs that could rise to 200%, prompting companies to buy ahead of schedule.

AI as a Strategic Growth Driver

At the heart of Alibaba’s expansion strategy lies Accio, an AI agent developed on Alibaba’s open-source Qwen model. Launched in August 2023, Accio attracted 1.5 million users within a month of release.

According to Alibaba, Accio can automate up to 70% of cross-border sourcing workflows, including:

Generating new product ideas

Identifying the most suitable suppliers

Advising on compliance with intellectual property, customs, and regulatory requirements

“B2B commerce requires AI agents even more than B2C, given the higher costs and complex decision-making processes,” Zhang explained. “That makes AI especially valuable.”

In its first year of deployment, AI contributed roughly 11% of Alibaba.com’s revenue. Notably, 70% of Accio users were new customers, underscoring its role in attracting fresh business.

Cross-Border Commerce Boosts Revenue

In the quarter ending June 30, Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group—which includes AliExpress, Lazada, and Alibaba.com—reported revenue of 34.741 billion yuan (US$4.85 billion), a 19% year-on-year increase, fueled primarily by strong cross-border activity.

Looking ahead, Zhang expects Accio to remain a core driver of Alibaba’s U.S. growth and potentially evolve into an independent revenue stream. The company currently charges $29 per month for the AI assistant but has not disclosed the number of paying users.