A boost in trade is the goal of a new Alibaba, New Zealand government partnership just signed.
Alibaba Group, the world’s largest online and mobile marketplace, has signed a memorandum of understanding with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) under which the two organisations undertake to pursue strengthening trade between China and New Zealand.
It is also hoped the move will support the growth of New Zealand brands in China.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key witnessed the signing along with Alibaba’s founder and executive chairman Jack Ma. They had both just given keynote speeches at an event hosted by the China Entrepreneur Club.
The aim of the co-operation between Alibaba and NZTE, which is the New Zealand government’s international business development agency, is to improve trade opportunities for New Zealand businesses seeking to enter the Chinese consumer market. It is also a significant step in establishing a closer co-operation to promote trade and online commerce between the two nations.
Representing Alibaba at the signing ceremony was its new MD for Australia and New Zealand, Maggie Zhou.
“With our strong networks in China and expertise in eCommerce, we will enable Chinese consumers to benefit from the premium products and fresh foods New Zealand businesses can offer,” she said.
New Zealand businesses are already using Alibaba’s channels to sell a wide range of products including dairy, meat, seafood, fruit, wine, beverage, cereal, skincare and health supplements, says NZTE CEO Peter Chrisp.
Under the co-operations, Alibaba will offer New Zealand businesses a range of services to help merchants sell into China through retail (B2C) or wholesale (B2B) platforms, cross-promote tourism between China and New Zealand, and provide seamless payments. These services include Tmall, China’s largest third-party B2C platform for brands and retailers; Tmall Global, an extension of Tmall’s B2C business for imports; Tmall Fresh Food, dedicated to fresh foods from around the world; Alibaba.com, China’s largest global online B2B wholesale platform; 1688.com, an online B2B wholesale marketplace; Alitrip, an online travel service platform; and
Alipay, an online and mobile payment service.
To mark the new partnership, Alitrip, Tmall.com, and Tmall Global are jointly hosting a New Zealand campaign that showcases honey, cosmetics and personal-care products from New Zealand.
