E-commerce provider keeps Chinese companies trading amid outbreak

Made-in-China.com, a domestic B2B e-commerce service provider developed and operated by Focus Technology, has launched multiple services to assist China's companies promote foreign trade during the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Exhibiting is an important method to showcase and in products around the world, but hosting an exhibition has huge challenges amid a pandemic.

To solve the problem and ensure 40 exhibitions are held in 15 countries as planned, Made-in-China.com provides services, combined online and offline measures and builds international trade channels for companies.

By the end of June, the platform will launch 15 online exhibitions and showcase China's products for overseas purchasers. This will allow domestic manufacturers to speak with potential buyers without going abroad.

According to a senior member of Made-in-China.com, when buyers select products, they can get detailed information online such as photos, descriptions, videos and a 360-degree factory picture.

Since Made-in-China.com started this business in 2016, it has launched 300 online exhibitions. At some famous exhibitions－such as the International Consumer Electronics Show and the BIG 5, a construction exhibition for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia－suppliers received around 10,000 purchase requirements from professional buyers.

During the pandemic, the service provider also set up online meetings for overseas purchasers who could not visit factories in China and meet with partners.

At a recent meeting, a Kenyan buyer wanted a large number of the atmospheric water generators, known as air-water machines, which can extract water molecules from the air to provide drinking water.

After consultants in Made-in-China.com learned about their purchase requirements, they selected an appropriate Chinese supplier and hosted an online meeting for two sides.

By the end of February, the number of searches for forehead thermometers, face masks and other sanitary products from overseas buyers rose sharply. Made-in-China.com selected some high-quality suppliers and promoted them online through search engines, social media and other online channels.

To better serve multilingual buyers and expand in emerging markets, Made-in-China.com has accelerated its promotion in markets of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union and those involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The platform cooperated with the Brazil-China economic and trade exchange center for the first time in March. It plans to launch special events for best-selling products, as well as online and offline promotion events for Chinese products in Brazil.

During the virus outbreak, the website set up a 24/7 online service window to answer questions and has provided around 200,000 pieces of public-purchase news for Chinese suppliers.

With all these efforts, the wider website's views grew 39 percent year-on-year and its business opportunities grew 12.9 percent compared with February 2019.

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn