Episode Number:

54

December 8, 2025

In this episode of The eCom Growth Show, Danan Coleman interviews Mike Begg — entrepreneur, Amazon expert, and co-founder of AMZ Advisers — to break down what it really takes to expand into Latin America. If you’re considering growth beyond the U.S. and Canada, Mike shares the data, pitfalls, and playbook you need before stepping into Mexico, Brazil, and the wider LATAM region.

Meet Mike: The Operator Helping Brands Win Across Borders

Mike Begg is an entrepreneur and eCommerce strategist who has helped brands generate over half a billion dollars in sales through AMZ Advisers, the agency he co‑founded in 2015.

Today, Mike also runs AMZ Courses, where he teaches sellers how to scale on Amazon, and GoAvance, a firm dedicated to helping brands expand into Latin America. He’s spent years navigating the realities of selling in Mexico, Brazil, and beyond — and now he helps brands shortcut the expansion curve.

When Should You Consider Expanding Into LATAM?

Mike’s rule of thumb: LATAM should be your second international move — right after Canada.

  • Mexico offers strong opportunity, close proximity, and similar buying behavior to U.S. shoppers.
  • On average, brands can expect ~10% of U.S. sales volume when they enter Mexico.
  • While smaller than the U.S., the region’s eCommerce market is growing at one of the fastest rates globally.
  • The hurdle: more red tape, more compliance, and more operational steps than Canada.
Key Insight: Mexico isn’t a massive market today, but it’s an early‑mover advantage market. Get in before your competitors do.

Why NARF Isn’t a Real Expansion Strategy

North American Remote Fulfillment (NARF) lets Mexican shoppers buy your U.S. inventory — but Mike warns it’s a trap.

  • Cross‑border conversion rates hover around 1%.
  • In‑market FBA listings convert closer to 10%.
  • Shoppers see “Imported Product” warnings, which signal: slow delivery, customs delays, extra taxes, and higher prices.
  • High risk of lost inventory if packages get stuck in customs.
Bottom Line: If you want real sales in Mexico, you need FBA in Mexico.

Mexico vs. Brazil: What U.S. Sellers Should Expect

LATAM isn’t one monolithic market — and Mexico vs. Brazil is a night‑and‑day comparison.

  • Brazil: Largest eCommerce market in LATAM, ~$220B in annual sales.
  • Mexico: #2 at ~$94B, with fast‑growing Amazon adoption.
  • Marketplaces:
    • Mexico → Amazon & Mercado Libre (Amazon recently surpassed ML in traffic).
    • Brazil → Mercado Livre is still dominant.
  • Ranking Differences:
    • Amazon ranks by ASIN.
    • Mercado Libre ranks by seller reputation, not product.
Operational Note: If you don’t run excellent customer service and fast responses, Mercado Libre will punish your ranking instantly.

How to Localize Your Listings the Right Way

If you sell “trash cans,” remember: no one in Mexico searches for that. They’re searching for “botes de basura.” Mike’s localization checklist:

  • Translate everything into Mexican Spanish (not general Spanish or Spain’s Castilian Spanish).
  • Update your images with Spanish text overlays.
  • Use models that look like your target audience.
  • Adapt your messaging to the culture and buyer expectations.
Smart Move: Test your creatives using platforms like PickFu or IntelliRank before committing to a full production run.

The Best Launch Strategy for LATAM Sellers

Marketing in Latin America runs on a different fuel mix — and Mike shares the blueprint.

1. Social Media First

  • Latin America has some of the highest daily social media usage rates in the world. TikTok content is a powerful discovery engine.

2. Use DSP (It’s Shockingly Underrated Here)

  • DSP in Mexico is far cheaper than in the U.S.
  • Retargeting performs better than Campaign Manager ads.
  • Lookalike audiences help build full‑funnel visibility fast.

3. Push Off‑Platform Traffic Into Amazon or Mercado Libre

  • DSP + social = a strong engine for ranking and organic discovery.
Launch Formula: Social content → Awareness → Amazon/Mercado Libre → DSP retargeting → Sales momentum.

The Real Challenges Sellers Face in LATAM

Mike breaks the challenges into three buckets:

1. Fiscal & Legal Setup

  • You typically need a local partner to open your business entity.
  • Banking is heavily regulated with strict anti‑money‑laundering rules.
  • Taxes are paid monthly, including VAT and income tax.
  • You can write off full inventory purchases — but only if structured correctly.

2. Product Compliance

  • More regulated than the U.S., closer to EU standards.
  • Pet products are more regulated than human supplements.
  • Every product requires its own approval — 6 to 18 weeks per SKU.

3. Marketing & Marketplace Structure

  • Campaign Manager ads underperform; DSP is the growth lever.
  • Mercado Libre offers fewer ranking levers — your seller reputation is everything.
  • Brands must invest in multi‑channel marketing, not just in‑platform ads.
Reality Check: LATAM expansion is high friction up front — but high leverage once you’re set up.

Need Help Expanding Into Mexico or LATAM?

Mike and his team at GoAvance specialize in helping brands enter the region the right way — avoiding months of legal, compliance, and operational headaches.

Website: GoAvance

Connect With Mike Begg

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Final Thoughts

Expanding into Latin America isn’t a plug‑and‑play growth hack — it’s a strategic expansion requiring localized content, new operational processes, and real on‑the‑ground understanding. But for brands that move early and follow the right playbook, LATAM represents one of the most promising long‑term opportunities outside of the U.S.

As Mike reminds sellers: put in the work up front, structure it correctly, and the region can become a major revenue pillar — not just a side channel.

Stay tuned for more episodes of The eCom Growth Show, where international operators share the strategies that unlock new markets and new momentum.