KITA’s online export platforms help firms overcome virus outbreak

The Korea International Trade Association is bolstering remote online export platforms to help domestic companies facing difficulties in export to find new export channels amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The KITA said Sunday it has shifted its marketing efforts to the online sphere, strengthening its online business-to-business and business-to-consumer export platforms as series of offline export marketing events have been canceled or delayed by the worsening COVID-19 outbreak.

According to KITA, it has initiated an “all-time remote online matching service” via its online B2B trade website “tradeKorea,” connecting domestic export companies to suitable buyers by analyzing more than 1.85 million buyer databases and purchase inquiries.

In February, 1,050 purchase inquiries were submitted through tradeKorea, a 58 percent increase on year, KITA data showed. Last year, the management team of tradeKorea scored export sales of $50 million.

KITA is also holding a biweekly video export consultation by inviting 77 companies included in “Pro-KITA Big Buyer Network.” In the first video consultation Wednesday, five big buyers including Shenzhen TSL, the key broker of China’s state-controlled distributor China Resources Vanguard and Indonesia’s online mall operator Dimarco Mitra Utama engaged in consultations with some 20 domestic companies.

With more people staying indoors and spending more time online, Kmall24 -- KITA’s online B2C shopping mall for direct overseas sales of Korean products -- plans to select and promote strategic items among partnered brands by using keyword, search engine and YouTube marketing.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)