China’s first officially sanctioned trade portal, MeetChina.com, is already having a marked effect on trade between China and the rest of the world a month after its was launched, according to the Ministry of Information Industry which set it up as a joint venture with US Business Network Inc.
The site is now attracting about 50,000 mainly North American business visitors a day, both potential buyers and sellers, according to co-founder and head of the Chinese side of the operation Joseph Tong. The interest has really been tremendous, said MeetChina’s other co-founder, Thomas Rosenthal, who heads the site’s US operations.
Tong said wholesalers of all sizes, primarily from the US, have explored the site, looking for consumer products from pillows to alarm clocks, while manufacturers have been checking the availability of components for electronics goods. Canada’s Nortel and Finland’s Nokia have both made inquiries over the site regarding the availability of telecommunications equipment, he added.
However Tong and Rosenthal said the web site’s real promise lies in its potential to facilitate trade across China’s borders between small and medium-sized firms. Ultimately, we’re looking to sell direct to US consumers, Tong said.
