On October 20, 2026, AliExpress announced what it calls a global strategic affiliate partnership with YouTube, per its PR Newswire release.

The deal brings AliExpress's product catalogue into YouTube's Shopping Affiliate Program, letting eligible creators discover and tag products directly within YouTube Studio across long-form videos, Shorts and livestreams.

InternetRetailing reports the collaboration first launched in South Korea in March 2026 and now expands to four markets: the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom and Germany. Viewers can click through from content to complete purchases on the AliExpress marketplace.

For creators following the affiliate beat, the striking detail is not just the scale of AliExpress's catalogue but where it plugs in: a single integration spanning all three of YouTube's major formats — long-form, Shorts and livestreams — with tagging available at key moments of discovery and engagement.

InternetRetailing frames the deal as significant for retail media, arguing that product discovery is shifting from marketplace sites into creator-led content and blurring lines between social commerce, affiliate marketing and retail media.

The outlet notes reviews, unboxings and livestreams can build stronger engagement — even virality — than sponsored listings or marketplace advertising.

The PR Newswire release details the product side: creators can explore AliExpress goods across consumer electronics, sports and outdoor, home and living, and lifestyle categories, with a particular focus on Brand+ — a dedicated selection of branded products from international and local brands.

Creators can use data on bestselling and trending products to handpick items that resonate with their audiences.

Eric Zhang, vice president of AliExpress, said: "Content and commerce are converging globally, and this partnership connects AliExpress's affiliate ecosystem with YouTube's creator ecosystem."

WWD's Sourcing Journal adds that the initiative aims to build a direct, efficient journey from product discovery to purchase.

The partnership advances what AliExpress's release calls its creator commerce strategy, pairing the marketplace's breadth with creators' local insight in each market.

For eligible creators, the prize is commission-earning opportunities on qualifying sales, with viewers able to purchase conveniently as they watch — the release cites an example of tagging a consumer electronics product in an unboxing Short or during a face-to-face livestream.

InternetRetailing notes brands and sellers on AliExpress gain access to YouTube's creator economy just as video content plays a growing role in product discovery.

Following YouTube's recent extension of its Shopping Affiliate Program to eligible creators in Germany and the UK, the deal connects participating creators in Europe and eventually more of the world.

Further expansion will take place in phases, in line with the rollout of YouTube's affiliate program into new markets, according to the PR Newswire announcement.

Eligible YouTube creators in participating markets — those meeting YouTube's channel and Shopping affiliate requirements — can apply through YouTube Studio.

WWD reports that interested creators can begin tagging shoppable product recommendations across their content, using trending and bestselling data to choose items, offering authentic reviews, demonstrations and real-life use cases.

With South Korea already live since March 2026 and four more markets joining, the question creators will watch is which markets land next as YouTube extends the program.