Alibaba-run Tmall Global plans to open six new procurement centers around the world to help overseas vendors better satisfy Chinese consumers’ needs for imported goods, Tmall President Jing Jie said on March 21, Beijing Business Daily reported. 

The six centers will be established in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, as well as regions in North America, Europe and Oceania, Jing clarified at an annual global partners summit of Tmall Global held in Hangzhou.

At the summit, Tmall Global signed annual procurement plans with representatives from Australia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand.

The platform will also increase the use of bonded warehouses, which will store goods without imported duties until they are dispatched, with the aim of reducing the cost for vendors that are looking to get into the Chinese market, Jing disclosed.

Tmall Global already provides platforms for more than 18,000 brands from 74 countries and regions, according to statistics.