Some other portals are often used in the cross-border B2B field, including the following three.
(I) Industry Association Websites
Industry association websites are also one of the places where B2B information is relatively concentrated. Its advantages are that, first, it is highly related to the company’s own products, and second, it is very rich in information, including market conditions, research reports, industry news, electronic publications, training information and related links. In particular, most association websites have member lists, ranging from dozens to hundreds, usually including member profiles, links to member websites and contact information (such as telephone, email, etc.).
(II) International Exhibitions and Fairs Websites
Exhibitions or fairs usually have their own dedicated websites, which generally include various information about the exhibition and related industries, and will display the company directory of exhibitors. These companies are generally related manufacturers or distributors, which are very valuable for the B2B business model. As shown in Figure 3-12, this is the information of exhibitors listed on the website of the “International Consumer Electronics Show” held in Las Vegas, USA.
(III) Government websites of various countries, especially websites of commerce departments and customs
There is also a lot of business information on government websites of various countries, especially websites of administrative departments, commerce departments, and customs departments such as industry, agriculture, and services. For example, the website of the United States Foreign Trade Commission (International Trade Administration, http://www.trade.gov/) contains a large amount of information about US trade. The Canadian government can provide very detailed information on industry, commerce, finance, import and export trade, and corporate finance on its website. As shown in Figure 3-13, this is the import database provided by the Canadian government website (www.ic.ge.ca/app/scr/tdst/tdo/ertr.html?&productType=NAICS&lang=eng), where foreign trade companies can mine and obtain a lot of information.
(IV) International organizations and trade and investment institutions of various countries
Websites of international organizations, chambers of commerce of various countries, or import and export associations are also one of the main sources of information. Such websites usually include information on the economic situation, market situation, industry situation, import and export situation, etc. of the relevant countries or organizations. This is the website of the United Nations Procurement Division (www.un.org/Depts/ptd/), which contains detailed information on United Nations procurement.