
The Numbers Tell a Clear Story
Traditional indices S&P 500 and DAX 30 dropped 12% while the MSCI World Index decreased 11%, according to current market data, which ran from April 7, 2025. The major e-commerce stocks, including Amazon, Alibaba and PDD through to eBay, have lost 18% of their stock value since March 28, 2025, while traditional indices maintained 88-89 % of their recent value.
The e-commerce industry shows extreme sensitivity to present-day geopolitical tensions because of this development. Traditional indices remain at 88-89% while e-commerce giants have plummeted to 82%.
Why E-commerce in Particular?
The more significant decline in the e-commerce sector has several logical explanations. A key factor is these companies’ dependence on cross-border trade.
Amazon derives a large percentage of its financial income from global market operations. The increase in tariffs leads to higher costs for border goods sales, so businesses must either eat into their profit margins or raise prices for customers, which reduces market demand. Both of these growth projection scenarios are unfavourable for investors who track them.

Source: ECDB
Chinese Companies on the Front Line
Chinese technology companies including Alibaba, PDD, and JD.com face immediate threats from the ongoing tariff debates. These companies depend heavily on U.S. markets for exports while facing possible retaliatory actions which could cut into their customer numbers and make their delivery networks more difficult to operate. The United States started the tariff debate, yet it might face greater impact than China. China benefits from both domestic market size and ecosystem independence while operating as a major exporter which would see its trade volume decrease as routes shift beyond traditional paths.
Global Stock Decline: What This Means for Smaller Players
The current situation presents both positive and negative effects for smaller e-commerce businesses. The growing worldwide trade complexities along with elevated expenses to conduct business across borders create obstacles for all participants. Local sellers who operate independently of international trade may discover new business possibilities because of the current market trends.
The ongoing trend shows that e-commerce as a digital business continues to operate based on fundamental economic and political forces of the global marketplace.
The current market situation requires continuous tracking because tariff discussions will profoundly affect both stock market performance and e-commerce operational aspects throughout the following weeks.