Alibaba's global expansion process is still ongoing.
EqualOcean has learned from public sources that Alibaba recently submitted a business proposal to the South Korean government. Over the next three years, the company plans to invest USD 1.1 billion in South Korea to expand its business operations, creating approximately 3,000 direct or indirect job opportunities.
According to the proposal, Alibaba will establish a comprehensive logistics center in South Korea this year, covering an area of 180,000 square meters, equivalent to the size of 25 football fields. On the 14th of this month, South Korean KBS TV analyzed that if Alibaba constructs a logistics center in South Korea, it is expected that the delivery time for products sold in South Korea through Alibaba's cross-border e-commerce platform "Tmall Global" will be significantly reduced, thereby enhancing the platform's competitiveness.
Alibaba is set to invest USD 100 million to assist South Korean sellers in exporting products overseas. Specifically, Alibaba will establish a procurement center to discover high-quality South Korean products and open global sales channels in June. Alibaba also plans to utilize multiple e-commerce platforms under its umbrella to sell South Korean goods, such as Tmall Global, the Southeast Asian online shopping website "Lazada," and the Spanish e-commerce platform "Miravía." Moreover, the company aims to support 50,000 South Korean small and medium-sized enterprises in their export efforts over the next three years.
A spokesperson for Alibaba commented, "We cannot disclose specific plans at the moment, but we will continue to expand our investments in South Korea. In the long run, we will collaborate with local sellers to protect consumers and help small and medium-sized enterprises enter the global market."
Meanwhile, the South Korean government is preparing to take unconventional measures to restrain the development of Chinese e-commerce. According to the South Korean newspaper "Chosun Ilbo" on the 13th, the Korean Customs Service has decided to impose restrictions on the most popular overseas direct purchase cross-border e-commerce platforms from China, such as Tmall Global and Taobao. On the 12th, the Korean Customs Service revealed that it is discussing plans to strengthen the inspection process for goods in overseas direct purchases, especially enhancing inspections for counterfeit products. The greatest competitive advantage of global platforms like Tmall Global and Taobao is product pricing, while customs clearance is their "Achilles' heel." The more difficult the customs clearance, the longer the delivery time for Chinese e-commerce goods.