The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA, 外貿協會) and Chunghwa Post Co (中華郵政) will collaborate on an online platform that aims to act as the “last mile” in helping local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to reach international buyers.
TAITRA and Chunghwa announced yesterday that they would launch a joint integrated service on Friday that will provide information flow, logistics and payment flow on a single online platform.
“With 80,000 members and more than 1.2 million international buyers in the database, TAITRA’s Web site will be able to integrate the services of Chunghwa Post, which has long been known for its logistics expertise and success, to help Taiwan’s SMEs,” TAITRA chairman Wang Chih-kang (王志剛) said.
Wang said that SMEs account for 98 percent of Taiwanese enterprises and have been the pillar of Taiwan’s economy for decades, but that most smaller companies have problems finding foreign buyers, especially in China.
Chunghwa Post would provide an express mail service network that covers 103 countries, a 10 percent to 25 percent mail delivery discount and an online payment service so that businesses can reduce logistics expenses, Chunghwa Post chairman Oliver Yu (游芳來) said.
The service is expected to particularly benefit Taiwanese businesses trying to flex their muscles in China, given that China-bound exports account for 40 percent of overall exports, Wang said.
The Taiwantrade Web site has launched a version in simplified Chinese characters and has worked with Taobao.com and Eachnet.com — two of the largest online shopping Web sites in China — to set up online accounts for Taiwanese companies.
After a nosedive in the second half of last year and the ensuing global crisis, Wang said, Taiwan’s exports were on the way to recovery, with total export value surpassing NT$20 billion (US$619 million) last month — the highest level in 13 months.
“TAITRA’s aim is to promote Taiwanese products and to assist Taiwanese businessmen to reach out to as many customers as possible,” he added.
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