GovWire

The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), Sajid Javid, signed a partnership agreement on behalf of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) with the Shanghai Cross-Border e-Commerce Public Platform on 23 September 2015.

The signing took place at the first ever China-UK Cross-Border e-commerce Cooperation Roundtable organised by the Bank of China in Shanghai.

Support for UK online retailers

The partnership was organised as part of UKTIs e-Exporting Programme. The agreement will support UK exporters and help promote their online sales in China by helping them to:

• find new customers
• build brand awareness
• analyse Chinese consumer requirements

Partnership agreement

The Shanghai Cross-border e-commerce Public Platform will work with UKTI to:

• provide help to UK companies wishing to sign up to e-commerce platforms registered in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (SFTZ)
• encourage e-commerce platforms registered in the SFTZ to run a marketing campaign promoting UK brands on their platforms
• share information to help UK companies understand the opportunities in China and how they can be optimised through e-channels in the SFTZ

UKTI will work to grow the volume of UK online exports to China through the SFTZ e-marketplace by:

• delivering a programme with UK partners to increase the number of companies seeking to export through global e-marketplaces
• promoting opportunities for UK companies to grow their business in China through e-marketplaces
• working with partners and private sector experts to provide peer to peer mentoring for UK companies seeking to export through e-channels
• delivering a retail and brands campaign across relevant e-commerce platforms in the SFTZ

Shanghai Cross-border e-commerce Public Platform

The Shanghai Cross-border e-commerce Public Platform aims to share information and jointly solve problems such as:

• counterfeit products
• complicated customs procedures
• cross-border foreign exchange settlement
• exchange and refund

The platform links the regulatory bodies (customs, foreign exchange, inspection and quarantine, and taxation) with sellers, consumers, payment institutions, logistics companies, and a China e-Port Data Centre.

It was built by the Shanghai municipal government.

Further e-commerce agreements in China

The Bank of China will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UKTI in October 2015.

This will be followed by the release of a joint publication on China-UK cross-border e-commerce at a later date. This will lay the basis for extending the Shanghai e-commerce model into other pilot cities in China.

UKTIs e-Exporting Programme

By joining UKTIs e-Exporting Programme, UK retailers and brands can reach consumers overseas through e-marketplaces.

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