E-commerce speeds up global products’ entry into Chinese market at CIIE

E-commerce platforms have been speeding up the entry of global products into the Chinese market by taking the "express train" of the 5th China International Import Expo (CIIE).

On Nov. 5, Chinese e-commerce company Pinduoduo (PDD) held a CIIE-themed livestreaming session with CCTV News, offering subsidies to consumers to promote 105 types of high-quality imported products, most of which were from exhibitors at the 5th CIIE, which kicked off on the same day.

Photo shows a livestreaming session themed on the 5th China International Import Expo (CIIE) co-held by Chinese e-commerce company Pinduoduo and CCTV News on Nov. 5. (Photo/Chinanews.com)

The livestreaming session, hosted by CCTV hostess Zhu Xun and host Neghmet Rakhman, drew over 20 million viewers, many of whom placed orders online.

"While the CIIE brings high-quality exhibits, e-commerce enables direct connection between Chinese consumers and the overseas producers of these exhibits, and makes their products available for Chinese consumers to buy," said Li Xuequan, an executive of Kunming Liqi Supply Chain Co., Ltd. in Kunming city, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

"Also, thanks to supportive cross-border policies, consumers can buy more and more high-quality global products online conveniently and at relatively low prices," added Li, who is also an agent for Thailand's energy drink brand Red Bull, which has attended the CIIE for four consecutive years.

CCTV hostess Zhu Xun (L) and host Neghmet Rakhman introduce pineapples from the Philippines during a livestreaming session themed on the 5th CIIE. (Photo/Chinanews.com)

Li explained that the mode of directly delivering imported goods from warehouses in bonded zones to consumers significantly reduces sales prices as it cuts out the intermediate steps in the supply and marketing process.

Li explained that thanks to this mode, sales of his company’s products from Thailand, including Red Bull drinks, have been growing rapidly. This year, his company's sales volume is expected to more than double year on year, according to Li.

"E-commerce has become an amplifier of the benefits of the CIIE. We help enterprises from bonded zones across China and offer subsidies to high-quality imported products to reduce the costs of overseas brands," said an executive of PDD Global.

"By leveraging our advantages in having a huge number of users and group buying, PDD will continue to speed up the process of high-quality global products entering the Chinese market, promote sales of these products, and ensure that the Chinese market offers a great opportunity to overseas brands," the executive said.

Photo shows a warehouse at Kunming comprehensive bonded zone in Kunming city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Chinanews.com)

In recent years, an increasing number of overseas brands have opened stores on PDD, including Johnson & Johnson and Shiseido.

"Thanks to supportive policies, we have moved faster to improve our import infrastructure, helped overseas brands open stores on our platform more efficiently, and promoted the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce since the first CIIE in 2018," said the executive, adding that PDD stands ready to share opportunities brought by its nearly 900 million users with more CIIE exhibitors to expand the spillover effects of the CIIE.