A and B are classmates. They are discussing about their understanding of cross-broder e-commerce. Please try to role play the following dialogue, and especially pay attention to the underlined parts.

A: Hi, what do you like to do in the future after graduation?

B: Oh, I'm not sure. I think I will try to do something in the cross-border e-commerce field. You know, nowadays it is quite a new and promising career direction.

A: Oh, yes. I think I will also try it.

B: Really? What a coincidence. It is said that the current talent gap in the cross-border e-commerce field is particularly large.

A: Yes, and more and more companies are launching business in this field.

B: That means there are plenty of opportunities for us.

A: Exactly. This semester, we've got two courses closely related to the theme of cross-broder e-commerce. We should try to learn them well.

B: Sure. And I think we need more practices with some real accounts from different cross-border e-commerce platforms.

The Way Cross-Border E-Commerce Goes

With the development of technology and the growth of the Internet, it has provided customers from all over the world with the ability to purchase products and/or services that may be unavailable or expensive in their home countries or regions from Internet-based platforms.

This is known as cross-border e-commerce (CBEC). It is a new alternative for department stores, small businesses, and large-scale supermarkets to compensate losses.

CBEC includes the import model and the export model.

Currently, the import business on the cross-border e-commerce platform is conducted under two modes of operations.

(1) Direct mail model.

(2) Bonded area import model.

With the direct mail model, consumers purchase goods from qualified e-commerce platforms, and products are shipped by international transportation to customers directly. As for bonded area import model, the products are shipped in bulk and stored in warehouses before being shipped to customers that have placed their orders online after completing customs clearance and inspections procedures. It is important to be cautious of selecting the bonded import channel, as retailers have to bear inventory risk when the imported products are sent to bonded warehouses before being delivered to customers. It is vital that retailers forecast market demand before the shipment begins in order to avoid any possible inventory risk.

The success of export cross-border e-commerce model highly depends on the collaboration among the supply chain partners, including product sourcing, logistics, payment, and after-sales services.

Words ＆ Expressions

1. Words

purchase /'p?:t??s/　v.　購買

unavailable /??n??ve?l?bl/　adj.　難以獲得的

platform /?pl?tf??m/　n.　平臺

alternative /??l?t??n?t?v/　n.　供替代的選擇

large-scale /'lɑ:d?ske?l/　adj.　大規模的

compensate /?k?mpense?t/　v.　賠償，償付

conduct /k?n?d?kt/　v.　實施；進行

mode /m??d/　n.　模式；方式

operation /??p??re??n/　n.　操作；經營

qualified /?kw?l?fa?d/　adj.　有資格的

ship /??p/　v.　運送

transportation /?tr?nsp???te??n/　n.　運輸

bulk /b?lk/　n.　大量

warehouse /?we?ha?s/　n.　倉庫

customs /?k?st?mz/　n.　海關；關稅

clearance /?kl??r?ns/　n.　清除；準許

inspection /?n?spek?n/　n.　檢查

procedure /pr??si?d??(r)/　n.　手續；步驟

collaboration /k??l?b??re??n/　n.　合作

source /s??s/　v.　獲取

logistics /l??d??st?ks/　n.　物流

payment /?pe?m?nt/　n.　支付

retailer /?ri?te?l?(r)/　n.　零售商

inventory /??nv?ntri/　n.　存貨

deliver /d??l?v?(r)/　v.　遞送；投遞

vital /?va?tl/　adj.　至關重要的

forecast /?f??ka?st/　v.　預測

2. Expressions

customs clearance　清關

depend on　取決于；依靠

supply chain　供應鏈

after-sales services　售后服務