In an effort to reach more small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) in China, BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) has launched its first cooperation with e-commerce companies in China, opening an online store, http://basfinchina.1688.com, on Alibaba. The business-to-business portal founded in 1999 by entrepreneur Jack Ma to connect Chinese manufacturers with overseas buyers is traded indirectly on the New York Stock Exchange.

One of the first multinational chemical players to set up an extensive shop on the Chinese platform, BASF said it will offer a wide range of products directly from its online store. Plastics-related products include polyamide, along with polyurethane starting material MDI.

BASF’s new Chinese e-commerce portfolio also extends to pigments and dispersions, nutrition and health ingredients, and the world’s largest chemical producer said it also supports small retailers of fuel additives and emissions treatment equipment. To purchase BASF’s products, buyers can use Alibaba’s “Alipay” platform.

“SMEs account for 99% of the total number of enterprises in China, and contribute 60% to the gross domestic product. By launching our first store on Alibaba, customers from the SME segment can buy our products easily and efficiently,” said Zheng Daqing, the German group’s senior vice president Business and Market Development Greater China.