(LEAD) Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com to directly import S. Korean products

SEOUL, Aug. 12 - Chinese e-commerce behemoth JD.com has established a subsidiary in South Korea to directly import Korean consumer goods for sale within its own country, according to the trade ministry. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, along with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and JD.com, convened a briefing for approximately 200 Korean consumer goods companies, detailing the company's business strategy.

Subsequent one-on-one meetings between the entities saw several Korean firms signing agreements worth a total of $1.5 million for shipping their products through JD.com's B2C platform in China. JD.com's official stated that the company intends to bolster direct purchases of Korean consumer goods, citing a surge in demand for K-beauty and K-food products driven by global fascination with Korean culture.

The government has pledged comprehensive support to Korean companies aiming to penetrate the Chinese market via major e-commerce platforms like JD.com. In 2021, South Korean exports of consumer goods to China reached a record $9.3 billion; however, this figure shrank to $6.5 billion in 2025 post-COVID-19. Still, exports of Korean consumer goods to China rose by 8.7% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, reaching $3.4 billion. Ranked alongside Amazon in the United States, JD.com generated $183.5 billion in sales last year.