Taiwan's e-commerce value to reach $22.6b

TAIPEI -- The value of Taiwan's e-commerce sector will reach NT$6,600 billion ($22.6 billion) this year, a 17 percent growth over 2011, economic authorities said Monday.

The figure is predicted to top NT$1 trillion ($34.3 billion) in 2015. The Chinese mainland will be a key market for Taiwan's e-commerce industry, according to Taiwan's economic authorities at a seminar on promoting the development of e-commerce.

The industry is one of the few in Taiwan that is growing despite the global economic recession.

Taiwan authorities have initiated a program for promoting Chinese language e-commerce and transaction safety, in a bid to help practitioners enter the fast-growing mainland market, which has more than 500 million Internet users.

Taiwan and the Chinese mainland will hold discussions on issues that hinder Taiwan's e-commerce practitioners from entering mainland market. These include customs clearance and obtaining the mainland's business certificates for Internet Content Providers.

"The Chinese mainland has a bigger Internet market and abundant opportunities for businesses," said Zhuang Longlong, founder of Taiwan-based online shopping company PGmall.com. The firm has benefited from entering the mainland market with turnover increasing.

Taobao.com, the leading online shopping company from the Chinese mainland, said at the seminar that the website's registered users from Taiwan had reached 500,000, with a 50 percent growth in transactions.

"We will strengthen cooperation with Taiwan's banking and logistics industries to provide more convenience to Taiwanese consumers. We will also help Taiwan's e-commerce practitioners to enter the Chinese mainland through our platform," said Li Pengjun, director of Taobao's overseas business.