JD, Shopify 🤝 to simplify cross-border ecommerce between US, China

Ecommerce firms JD.com and Shopify have teamed up to make it easier for independent US brands to serve consumers in China.

The partnership will link Shopify’s merchants across the globe with JD’s 550 million active users in China.

Photo credit: JD.com

JD.com will set up a channel for Shopify brands to list their products on JD Worldwide, the former’s cross-border ecommerce marketplace. The channel aims to allow brands to start selling in China within 3 weeks to 4 weeks, which would be shorter than the nearly 12 months it currently takes them.

The channel will be available to merchants starting Tuesday.

Besides smart translation and price conversion services, JD.com will support Shopify merchants with its fulfillment services – including cargo flights and warehouses – between the US and China.

The two ecommerce firms will also work toward helping brands and merchants in China reach consumers in western markets. JD.com will also help select Chinese brands set up their direct-to-customer channels through Shopify.

“We believe that the partnership will unlock the huge potential of the Chinese market for brands outside of China,” JD Worldwide president Daniel Tan said in a statement, adding that the deal would shore up cross-border commerce by leveraging the Chinese firm’s global supply chain.

See also: Can Indonesia’s Shopify-like startups usurp ecommerce giants?

Thailand-based ecommerce enabler aCommerce yesterday inked a partnership with Shopify Plus – the Canadian firm’s enterprise ecommerce platform – in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.