eBay On The Evolution Of China’s Cross-Border Trade

The continuing cross-border commerce evolution is an opportunity for just about every country in the ecosystem, but China stands to benefit in five specific ways.

In a recent blog post, eBay shares the details on a story that John Lin, vice president and managing director of eBay Greater China, wrote for the Chinese eCommerce outlet Ebrun.com that lays out the five key changes taking place in cross-border trade (CBT) that could further China’s prominence in the field.

The move from single- to multi-channel CBT, attests Lin, could prove advantageous for eBay in particular, as sellers could benefit from the eCommerce platform’s upgraded IT systems and overseas warehouses. Furthermore, sellers can now rely on search engines and social media — and not just the eBay platform itself — to attract buyers.

As for the second change — an increased investment in eCommerce logistics — Lin remarks: “Some forward-looking sellers have invested in building an overseas warehouse so they can sell across more categories through multiple channels. Faster delivery and a convenient return mechanism do a great deal to improve the buyer’s shopping experience.”

Borne out of those new overseas warehouses is a third change: It allows an increasing number of sellers to expand their offerings from small — and, therefore, inexpensive to ship — items to larger (and likely more expensive) ones, posits Lin, such as furniture and industrial goods.

The fourth change that Lin points to is enterprise organizations — such as manufacturers and large retailers — getting into the cross-border game. This poses a twofold potential benefit to cross-border in China, he posits: one, increased competition, and two, inspiring innovation in the market.

The fifth and final change, attests Lin, is a direct result of the bigger players joining CBT. It has created new cash flow services for smaller sellers in the form of third-party loan providers. These providers can also, explains Lin, help out sellers in other ways, in areas related to customs, increased storage and insurance.

“If you sell good-quality and cost-effective products, there will always be a market for you. That’s why ‘Made in China’ producers are so widely recognized by foreign consumers,” says Lin. “Cross-border exporters today can sell directly to consumers all over the world. We will continue to work with them in partnership to be world leaders in global shopping and creators of innovative products.”