The contribution of digital platforms to exports toward China

Abstract

In recent years, the value of Italian exports to China has experienced significant growth driven by digital channels. This thesis aims to analyze the contribution of e-commerce platforms to the increase of Italian exports to China, focusing mainly on the pandemic years. During this period, the closure of physical stores and the implementation of China's "zero covid" policy complicated traditional retailing, giving a significant boost to digitization. After an overview of China-Italy import-export relations and the development of e-commerce in China, the thesis aims to demonstrate how e-commerce platforms can offer growing business opportunities for companies that want to remain competitive in a rapidly changing environment. Indeed, in the third chapter, the research will focus specifically on a selection of Italian companies that have made significant profits through working with the B2C e-commerce marketplace Tmall.