Chinese B2B e-commerce company Alibaba has announced that it has set up a partnership with Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute to jointly promote the e-commerce business among small and medium-sized enterprises in Macau.

The initial cooperation between the two parties will include an incentive scheme, which aims to build the export capacity of Macau's SMEs and to help them explore the new international trading market. With the incentive scheme, exporters in Macau can apply for an annual financial subsidy up to MOP20,000, which is equal to about USD2,500, from IPIM to buy the e-commerce supporting services provided by Alibaba.

Zhang Ziheng, vice president for Alibaba's global sales department, told local media that Macau's SMEs need to improve their export capacity and adopt the latest e-commerce tools. Neighboring the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, Macau has a advantageous location, making it a potential global trade portal. He said the company is glad to cooperate with IPIM and to provide more of Macau's SMEs with access to e-commerce tools. Alibaba will help these companies enlarge their client base, improve their purchase process, and enhance their competitiveness in the global trade market.

According to statistics provided by the Statistics and Census Service of Macau Special Administrative Region Government, the total exports of the region in the first eight months of 2009 were MOP5.11 billion, which were about USD64 million, and the main export destinations are the U.S. and the European Union. The economic recession has led to the decline of exports, and the exporters in Macau are looking for new markets.