Taipei City Government

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je attended the 2019 Taipei Cross-Border eCommerce Annual Convention today (October 8). In order to help enterprises tap into the global cross-border eCommerce market and transform Taipei City into a smart trade city, Taipei City Government has not only invited eBay Inc. Vice President John Lin to reveal the new trend in 2020, but also PChome Thai and Pinkoi to share their experiences in the Asian market such as Southeast Asia. When addressing the audience, Mayor Ko underlined the importance of upholding the “Taipei as Storefront and Taiwan as Warehouse” philosophy; he also said that Taipei City Government will continue to grow with everyone because Team Taipei and ultimately Team Taiwan will prevail in the global arena.

During his speech, Ko indicated that Taipei City Government has invited Vice President Lin of eBay Inc. – the world’s largest cross-border eCommerce company – as the keynote speaker. He also praised Mr. Lin as the pride of Taiwan, and that 2 additional cross-border eCommerce companies including the pride of Taiwan – PChome and Pinkoi – have also been invited to share their success stories.

According to Mayor Ko, the Taipei Neo Trade Awards are presented to the top 10 cross-border eCommerce firms in Taiwan including eCommerce platforms, e-businesses, and professional service providers; therefore it is a grand gathering of cross-border eCommerce firms in Taiwan today. Mayor Ko mentioned that statistically speaking, Taiwan’s exports have reached US$ 335.9 billion, which is ranked 18th in the world. In other words, Taiwan is considered a medium-sized country in terms of export and trade. There are 280,000 registered businesses in Taipei City, of which 80,000 are involved in export and trade, accounting for nearly 1/3 of all companies in Taipei City.

The mayor commented that cross-border eCommerce is the mainstream approach to trade in the future, and it has, in fact, been the primary trade model in recent years. Consequently, Taipei City Government places great emphasis in this regard and it has invested significant resources to make sure that cross-border eCommerce takes root in Taipei.

Next, he suggested that Taipei City Government became the first municipality to launch the incubation project for assisting exporters to market to international markets using the cross-border eCommerce platform in 2017, thereby helping businesses in Taipei to communicate with global markets via digital channels. The assistance package includes manufacturer consultation and guidance, talent cultivation, industry-academia collaboration as well as pitch-and-match events. So far, a total of 480 enterprises have benefitted from the project.

Lastly, Ko expressed that Taipei City Government has unveiled an integrated business solution called “Taipei as Storefront and Taiwan as Warehouse”, where the capabilities of Taipei’s professional service providers are utilized to promote Taiwan’s merchandise globally. In addition, Taipei City Government also founded the first Taipei Neo Trade Awards, selecting the top 10 e-businesses in the city to demonstrate to the public their accomplishments. Since cross-border eCommerce is an important industry, Taipei City Government will keep on growing with everyone, to let Team Taipei and ultimately Team Taiwan become triumphant in the global arena.