The Asia-Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) has just launched a new trading platform to help small, medium, and micro-enterprises in the region conduct cross-border trade transactions.
Interested businesses can register here: http://apecmsmemarketplace.com
Named the “APEC Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Exchange Platform,” this platform will provide information about small businesses from APEC member economies and help connect these businesses with suitable partners in the production and supply chain.
In addition, the platform provides detailed information on transaction and tax regulations, and has a support service portal to help small businesses in the region conduct transactions.
Philippine Industry and Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez believes the exchange will make it easier for small businesses to trade, thereby increasing their competitiveness and growth rate.
The exchange will serve small businesses, which make up the vast majority of businesses in the region and have significant export growth potential. These businesses are diverse, ranging from suppliers of handicrafts in Luzon and manufacturers of automotive and machinery components in Ohio, Nagoya, and Ho Chi Minh City to coffee growers and processors in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.
APEC economies aim to increase the number of small businesses with export potential listed on this exchange and open up market opportunities for those businesses by connecting them with businesses seeking suppliers of value-added goods and services.
This is part of APEC's efforts to implement the Iloilo Initiative on the development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, adopted in 2015.
