Launch of Gold Supplier Membership to Boost Taiwan's Export Competitiveness



    TAIPEI, Taiwan, July 24 /Xinhua-EMWNews/ -- Alibaba.com today opened

its fourth functional office outside mainland China. The new Taipei office

will be able to better serve its 40,000 local members and enable more small

and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan to grow their business through

e-commerce. Alibaba.com's three websites -- for global trade, domestic

trade in mainland China and trade with Japan -- collectively form a

business community of close to 30 million registered users from over 240

countries and regions.



    Taiwan is a priority market for Alibaba.com and the company is

committed to bringing global trade opportunities to Taiwan SMEs by helping

them reach millions of buyers and sellers around the world. Alibaba.com is

the only business-to-business e-commerce company that connects its Taiwan

members with potential trading partners in mainland China, emerging markets

like India and developed markets like Japan, Europe and the US on one

single platform.



    In 2007, there were over 1.2 million SMEs in Taiwan, accounting for

around 98% of all enterprises(1) and more than 220,000 of them are engaged

in export related businesses(2). With the saturation and slowing of

Taiwan's domestic market, it has become more crucial for local SMEs to

engage in international trade to stay competitive. However, official

statistics estimate that SMEs contribute only around 18% of Taiwan's total

export sales. This compares to around 40% of exports contributed by SMEs in

South Korea and India, and over 60% by SMEs in mainland China.



    "The launch of our Taipei office signifies our strong commitment to

invest more resources to develop the Taiwan market and help local SMEs with

global trade," said David Wei, Chief Executive Officer, Alibaba.com.

"Alibaba.com can provide Taiwan's 220,000 export orientated SMEs with the

right tools to connect with a huge pool of active international buyers and

increase their competitiveness. In order to enhance our reach in Taiwan, we

are also open to local partnerships in Taiwan in the future."



    Steve Kang, Senior Business Manager, Alibaba.com Taiwan, commented, "In

recent years, fierce competition and a flat domestic economy have cut into

the profits of Taiwan businesses and traditional cost saving measures are

no longer enough. SMEs in Taiwan need to increase their margins by finding

new customers overseas and Alibaba.com can help them tap into the global

marketplace."



    Alibaba.com recently launched its Gold Supplier membership package in

Taiwan. This paid service enables suppliers to gain more exposure to buyers

on Alibaba.com's international marketplace by providing them with a premium

storefront, priority placement in search results and high quality customer

service. The Taipei office will provide local customer service, marketing

and sales support, as well as conducting offline education and training for

its Taiwan customers. Currently, Alibaba.com has about 2,000 paying members

in Taiwan.






     (1) According to the 2007 White Paper on SMEs published by the Ministry

         of Economic Affairs of Taiwan

     (2) According to the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)

    About Alibaba.com Limited



    Alibaba.com Limited (HKSE: 1688), a member of the Alibaba Group, is the

world's leading B2B e-commerce company. It connects millions of buyers and

suppliers from around the world every day through three marketplaces: an

English-language marketplace ( http://www.alibaba.com ) for global

importers and exporters, a Chinese-language marketplace (

http://www.alibaba.com.cn ) for domestic trade in China, and a

Japanese-language marketplace ( http://www.alibaba.co.jp ) facilitating

trade to and from Japan. Together, its marketplaces form a community of

close to 30 million registered users from over 240 countries and regions.

Alibaba.com has offices in more than 30 cities in mainland China, Taiwan,

Hong Kong, Europe and the US.






    For media inquiries, please contact:



     Christina Splinder

     Alibaba.com Limited

     Tel:   +852-2215-5130

     Email: [email protected]



     Jasper Chan

     Alibaba.com Limited

     Tel:   +852-2215-5213

     Email: [email protected]