What is eWTP (World Electronic Trade Platform)? eWTP (World Electronic Trade Platform) Review

eWTP is the world electronic trade platform , the full name of which is ElecTROnic World Trade Platform. It means to promote public-private dialogue, promote the establishment of relevant rules, and create a practical and effective policy and business environment for the healthy development of cross-border e-commerce. It originated from the fact that on March 23, 2016, Jack Ma, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alibaba Group, appeared in Boao and attended the luncheon with the theme of "e-WTP: Global Trade Rules in the Internet Age", calling on the world to establish an e-WTP.

eWTP is a world electronic trade platform initiated by the private sector and jointly participated by various stakeholders. e-WTP can help developing countries, small and medium-sized enterprises and young people around the world to enter the global market and participate in the global economy more conveniently.

The "digital free trade zone" originates from the concept of digital hub (e-hub) proposed by Jack Ma. In Jack Ma's vision, in the future, the world will be composed of e-hubs one by one, and e-hubs will provide all the infrastructure for global trade for small and medium-sized enterprises, making "buying and selling globally" a reality.

background

The 2016 Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference entered its second day. At noon on March 23, 2016, Jack Ma, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alibaba Group, appeared in Boao to attend a luncheon with the theme of "e-WTP: Global Trade Rules in the Internet Age", calling on the world to establish an e-WTP (Electronic World Trade Platform) platform.

In the first half of 2016, Jack Ma has visited more than 30 countries and regions to discuss e-WTP. He has promoted countries around the world to support small and medium-sized enterprises in terms of 24-hour customs clearance and tax incentives. Jack Ma also said that e-WTP has been included in the G20 policy recommendations, and will also propose the initiative to the 20 leaders of the G20 during this G20 meeting.

Purpose

The purpose of eWTP is to make globalization more inclusive and make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises around the world to do global business.

By building a global infrastructure, we help developing countries and small and medium-sized enterprises participate in globalization, allowing consumers to "buy, sell, pay, transport and travel globally" on this platform.

At the same time, we should use the power of the Internet and technology to establish a new platform for cooperation among the government, the private sector and enterprises, so that small and medium-sized enterprises around the world can have a platform that truly belongs to them and can trade freely, fairly and openly. This should be driven by business and truly set up a set of solutions to problems for small businesses, problems for young people's employment and problems for small businesses.

Influence

e-WTP can significantly reduce trade costs and lower the threshold for SMEs to participate in the global value chain. In addition, its online payment tool will provide a fast payment method, which will have a positive impact on the cash flow and working capital of SMEs. Therefore, if this model is well implemented, it will be applied to more developing countries and least developed countries.

progress

The e-WTP initiated by Jack Ma was launched overseas for the first time.

On March 22, 2017, after inviting Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma, Alibaba Group CEO Daniel Zhang, and Ant Financial Group Chairman Lucy Peng to lunch, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib and his Chinese guests appeared at a grand launch ceremony in Kuala Lumpur. The first overseas e-WTP digital hub was established in Malaysia.

Under Jack Ma's strong promotion, e-WTP has received widespread response around the world and has entered the implementation stage efficiently. At the end of 2016, Hangzhou Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone took the lead and jointly built the world's first e-WTP "pilot zone" with Alibaba. Today, Malaysia's "Digital Free Trade Zone" has become the first e-WTP digital hub outside of China. This means that the two major digital hubs of e-WTP in China and overseas have connected to the world's first e-Road. In the future, as more countries respond and join, new digital hubs will cover more trade routes, thus creating a global "Digital Silk Road".

eWTP landed in Hangzhou

On October 26, 2017, at the 2nd Global Cross-border E-commerce Summit, Hangzhou Municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary and Mayor Xu Liyi and Alibaba Group CEO Zhang Yong (currently Chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group) jointly announced the construction of the eWTP Hangzhou Experimental Zone. The experimental zone was jointly built by the Hangzhou Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Experimental Zone and Alibaba. As the first cross-border e-commerce experimental zone in the country, the Hangzhou Comprehensive Experimental Zone and Alibaba have joined hands to promote digital innovation in trade infrastructure and policies, helping small and medium-sized enterprises to deliver goods around the world.

Taking logistics as an example, the Hangzhou Comprehensive Pilot Zone has become a digital import and export logistics hub. During Tmall’s Double 11 shopping festival in 2018, more than 10 million packages were cleared in the Hangzhou Comprehensive Pilot Zone in one day.

eWTP enters Africa

On October 31, 2018, the Rwandan government announced in Kigali that it would jointly build the eWTP with Alibaba. This was the first time that the eWTP was implemented in an African country. President Kagame said: "Rwanda does not want to be a low-income country anymore, and now Alibaba is helping us get rid of this label. The eWTP has opened up new prospects for us in e-commerce and tourism, and can provide capacity building for our entrepreneurs."

eWTP enters Europe

On December 5, 2018, the Belgian government and Alibaba Group signed a strategic agreement in Liege, and the eWTP officially entered Europe. This means that Asia, Africa and Europe have collectively embraced the eWTP and jointly entered a new track of empowering small and medium-sized enterprises and young people to share inclusive globalization. Belgian Prime Minister Michel said, "Participating in the eWTP can make local small and medium-sized enterprises more competitive in the global market in the digital economy era. It not only benefits small businesses and young people in Belgium, but also radiates to the whole of Europe."

eWTP landed in Yiwu

On June 19, 2019, Yiwu Municipal Government and Alibaba Group signed the eWTP strategic cooperation agreement. The world's largest offline market and the largest online market will join hands to explore new trade rules and models to serve global small and medium-sized enterprises. Both parties have their own advantages in international trade. This natural cooperation means that Yiwu, as the world's "small commodity capital", has ushered in new momentum for innovative international trade formats, and the practice of eWTP in Zhejiang has also been upgraded to the provincial level.

eWTP lands in Ethiopia

On November 25, 2019, local time, in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian government and Alibaba signed an agreement to jointly build the eWTP (World Electronic Trade Platform), which marked Ethiopia as the sixth stop for eWTP after Hangzhou, Malaysia, Belgium, Rwanda and Yiwu, and the second stop for eWTP in Africa. With the participation of Ethiopia, eWTP has taken on the shape of a global digital economy "highway network". This digital hub in Ethiopia will connect other eWTP hubs, including displaying and trading goods.

According to the agreement, Alibaba and Ethiopia will fully cooperate around eWTP. At the same time, Alibaba will also work with Yiwu to build a multifunctional digital trade hub (eHub) for Ethiopia. Ethiopia will become a gateway for African goods to be exported to the world. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy is full of expectations for the future: "Ethiopia's goal of becoming one of the top five leading economies in Africa in the next 10 years is no longer far away."