Third CAREC Trade Facilitation Learning Opportunity

Participants from the 10 CAREC member countries shared their experiences with e-commerce.

Topics covered in the two-day event “CAREC Trade Facilitation Opportunity: The Development Dimension of Cross-Border eCommerce: Nourishing an Emerging Opportunity in CAREC” included

• the development dimension of cross-border e-commerce,
• how e-commerce can contribute to economic engagement of small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs,
• what legal framework needs to be put in place,
• logistics around cross-border e-commerce,
• potential benefits for women entrepreneurs, and
• PRC’s experience with using e-commerce for trade growth.

In particular, discussions focused on the crucial element of trust that needs to be cultivated in e-commerce – both in the context of business-to-government (B2G) and business-to-consumer (B2C) – and constraints to its development such as regulatory, infrastructure, and payment system issues.

Participants expressed a desire to remain engaged with development partners and with one another to build the trust needed to sustain expanded cross-border e-commerce.

Speakers, meanwhile, shared best practices on how to take advantage of e-commerce to achieve economic growth and employment.

Institutions and businesses serving as panelists included the Asian Development Bank (ADB), China’s International Electronic Commerce Center (CIECC), Yucheng Group, Conference of Asia Pacific Express Carriers, World Customs Organization, Eurasian Economic Commission, and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

Participants also visited the East Lake Special Economic Zone in Wuhan to explore how special economic zones, particularly those adjacent to border crossing points, can facilitate cross-border e-commerce.

ADBI and CIECC co-sponsored the event, supported by the CAREC Trade Facilitation team and ADB CAREC Country Resident Missions.

The learning opportunity is part of activities implementing CAREC’s Trade and Transport Facilitation Strategy 2020.