Alibaba launches US network to ease small manufacturers’ access to 500 million customers
Capping off a series of US events, China’s e-commerce giant established its Taobao Global US Merchants Network with more than 300 merchant members
China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba announced its launch of a US business network that connects small-scale manufacturers to US companies already selling to Chinese consumers on Alibaba’s Taobao sales platform, providing easier access to more than 500 million consumers.
Following a series of US events aimed at bringing more small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) onto its e-commerce platforms, Alibaba established its Taobao Global US Merchants Network with more than 300 Taobao Global merchant members, according to a company announcement.
These merchants can sell products made by small- and medium-sized US companies to “more than half a billion consumers on Alibaba’s platforms”, it said.
“That’s not something we could achieve if we stayed in China. We need to go global,” Wong said, adding that Alibaba is aiming to derive about 40 per cent of revenue from international transactions within the next five years. Alibaba is the owner of the South China Morning Post.
The US merchants network effort also aligns with a pledge Ma made in January, when he met US president-elect Donald Trump, to boost US employment.