Dr. Catherine Raines, chief executive of UKTI, says that the collaboration will allow U.K. businesses to penetrate the Chinese market deeper. (Photo : UKTI)
Amazon China has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with U.K. Trade & Investment to help U.K. businesses enter the global market and export their products to China and India.
The collaboration with Amazon China is one of the latest initiatives by UKTI to help U.K. businesses tap the commerce market in China, according to Dr. Catherine Raines, chief executive of UKTI.
Raines said that the businesses the U.K. government has helped support are up from about 300 million pounds worth of export two years back, to close to 4 billion nowadays.
Michael Charlton, deputy director-general of UKTI China, noted that the partnership provides British companies an additional avenue to explore international markets in the digital economy and increase exports.
Based on November's PayPal/Ipsos global survey, China is the biggest consumer of British goods online.
Approximately 25 percent of cross-border consumers buying from Britain are from China, driven mainly by demand for British apparel, footwear and accessories.
The British government has a goal of helping 100,000 new businesses begin exporting by 2020.
Doug Gurr, president of Amazon China, said that based on their data, they have high confidence that the U.K. brands would be highly successful in China.
Furthermore, Gurr said that Amazon China has advantages over Chinese online sellers JD.com and Alibaba, as they connect their buyers directly to the brand manufacturers. This assures that Chinese customers get recognized quality and authenticity, attractive price, and fast and convenient delivery of British products.
Amazon will also help facilitate British companies on a global basis and support them in selling to many other countries.
Gurr said that while China may be experiencing economic growth slump, China's e-commerce consumption is booming due to its middle class pursuing brands and a better quality of life.
