During 2009, due to the global financial crisis, Chinese foreign trade has declined seriously. According to statistics from China Customs, in the period from January to July, 2009, the cumulative total value of import and export was US$1146.71 billion, decreasing 22.7% compared to the same period last year; export value decreased 22% and the import value decreased by 23.6%. The situation was evident during the “China Import and Export Fair” (Guangdong Canton Fair, Spring 09) showing the grave condition in Chinas foreign trade industry: Business value for exports had decreased sharply with both contractors and buyers in attendance and quantity of orders declining greatly. This indicates the means the trading method which had mainly depended on exhibitions or other ways shall be in need of reform. However, along with the popularization of the Internet and development in communication, E-Commerce has become one of the key methods used by more and more foreign trade enterprises to explore the market and attract customers’ attention.


Chance of Survival under the Crisis: E-Commerce


According to survey data issued by the “Department of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises” of the “National Development & Reform Commission”; during the first half of 2008, there were 67,000 small and medium-sized enterprises that closed down in China. However, the significance of E-Commerce was extremely distinct in the crisis. According to the latest survey data issued by iResearch during 2009, due to the advantages such as reducing business costs, improving business efficiency, shortening remittance period, extend business scope and others, the liabilities of on-line small and medium-sized enterprises that utilized E-Commerce were 5 times more than those of traditional enterprises in the globe financial crisis of 2008. E-Commerce not only helps numerous enterprises in China resist the impact of the financial crisis but also brings new fast development opportunities to them. According to the report from iReserach, 83% of small and medium-sized enterprises proved that the effects of E-Commerce were achieved in the winter of 2008.


B2B Website: First Choice of Starting E-Commerce for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises


Since the significance of E-Commerce is being recognized by more and more enterprises, how to use the E-Commerce platform to start a business has become one of the most urgent affairs for numerous foreign trade enterprises in China. At present, 4.5% of export enterprises have started E-Commerce business; 31.2% of enterprises have just started E-commerce business; 28.7% of enterprises have begun the exploration; 12% of enterprises have been considering it; only 23.6% of enterprises haven’t thought about it. Based on current exploring methods of E-Commerce by foreign trade enterprises, excepting those large enterprises that possess the capabilities and scales to set up their own E-Commerce websites, most small and medium-sized enterprises mainly rely on foreign trade websites like Alibaba, Made-in-China, Global Sources, Toocle, CIETNET and other E-Commerce websites. These enterprises can register their business on the websites, release product information and do promotions. Therefore, receiving related information of Chinese suppliers from B2B websites has become the preferred purchasing approach for more and more international buyers. The fast development of E-Commerce has raised higher demands; in which, detailed editions of product catalogues, classification and improvement of accuracy in information retrieval is the most urgent.



Create a Professional Industrial B2B Website: CIS Register China Industrial Supply Register


At present, the leading B2B websites in China are comprehensive, covering varied areas with huge informational capacity. How to classify these enterprises, product information and how to improve the retrieval efficiency for buyers shall be key factors to fully provide performance of E-Commerce website functions. Currently domestic E-Commerce operators have realized the importance and urgency of this affair. Professional, profound and overall shall be the main features of these B2B websites. China is one of the big powers in the manufacturing industry; its industrial production shall exceed half of its total national economic value. Due to the diversity and complexity of industrial production as well as the varied categories and vast quantities of industrial spare parts, industrial raw materials, industrial services, industrial special equipment and special materials, purchasing may become a headache for industrial enterprises. CIS Register China Industrial Supply Register (www.cisregister.com), the E-Commerce website that specializes in the theme Industry, is the customized tool for industrial resource optimization. Through retrieval on three levels, it can classify industrial spare parts of great quantities and varied kinds into 25 main categories. The main categories are also divided into hundreds of subdivisions which cover thousands of specialty products. It offers an easy search method to each customer. In addition, CIS Register China Industrial Supply Register also has 18 categories for industrial special equipment and materials including chemical, metallurgy, ceremony, food processing, medicine & medical treatment, mine, petroleum and other industries. Accurate and detailed product catalogue and classification are the greatest features of CIS Register China Industrial Supply Register which can remarkably improve the accuracy and efficiency of information retrieval for buyers. At present, it operates in five different languages including Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, German and Japanese which can allow China suppliers not only to do business with local buyers but also attract more and more attention from overseas buyers. It can improve the development of Chinese foreign trade, especially under the current financial crisis. CIS Register China Industrial Supply Register-this type of B2B website is becoming popular among more and more foreign trade enterprises and valued by them.



Suported by CIS Reporter