EU small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on Amazon have reached new heights in terms of cross-border trade, selling over €17 billion in 2025. However, cross-border sales on the platform may grow even higher, as global cross-border commerce is set to explode.
But despite this potential growth and the cross-border success of EU SMEs on Amazon, EU sellers in general shy away from cross-border selling, largely due to the many barriers in place.
Cross-Border Sales for EU SMEs on Amazon Reach €17 Billion
Cross-border sales across the more than 100,000 EU-based sellers on Amazon reached €17 billion in 2025. This is €2 billion higher than last year (which represents around 13% growth from 2024 to 2025) and shows that EU sellers on the platform are expanding their reach and marketing to new regions.
Of this €17 billion, €13.5 billion were intra-EU exports, while the other €3.5 billion were exports to other nations across the globe. Keep in mind that this €17 billion figure only accounts for cross-border sales, as EU Amazon sellers in general set a new record with €40 billion in total sales throughout 2025. As a result, over 40% of total European SME sales were cross-border.
Even outside of the EU, businesses on Amazon in general did well in 2025, as a record number of independent sellers on the platform (around 75,000) reached $1 million in sales, as well.
Most EU SMEs on Amazon Sell to Other Countries
Due to these sky-high cross-border sales, it should come as no surprise that most EU SMEs on Amazon sell and ship to other countries. In fact, 85% of them export products beyond their home country.
In total, EU SMEs on Amazon export to more than 200 countries and territories across the world. However, while many EU SMEs on Amazon sell to other countries, it seems that cross-border commerce is less common among EU SMEs in general throughout the region.
In fact, data from the European Commission found that only 26% of EU SMEs export goods and services to other EU Member States, and only 10% participate in cross-border trade with non-EU countries.
According to this data, the main barrier to growth among EU SMEs exporting to other EU countries is understanding different business environments, such as regulatory and language differences (33% of respondents).
Other main barriers include access to information about rules and requirements (30%), taxation issues (29%), and business authorizations (28%).
Among EU SMEs not currently operating across borders, the results are similar, as 20% have difficulties understanding foreign markets, 20% have issues accessing legal and procedural issues, and another 20% struggle to deal with taxation.
It’s not surprising to see the rates of cross-border selling among EU SMEs on Amazon be higher than in general, as Amazon handles things like language translation for both listings and customer service, reducing a company’s need to do it themselves.
Similarly, Amazon also simplifies international transactions in general with currency conversions, and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) helps to address some logistical issues and makes things like customs and international shipping easier to manage for companies.
The Future Outlook of Cross-Border Commerce
While some EU SMEs are hesitant to expand beyond their home country or the EU in general, there’s no doubting that cross-border commerce is rising. In fact, the market is expected to explode to over $4.5 trillion globally by 2032, up from around $1.25 trillion in 2024. Also, it’s projected to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.7% between 2026 and 2032.
As a result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see EU Amazon sellers continue to set new records for cross-border sales as the market continues to grow globally. This sales growth is likely to entice even more EU SMEs to sell outside their home country, whether on Amazon or not.
