JD.com Establishes Korean Entity to Directly Import Consumer Goods for Chinese Market
Key Takeaways
- •JD.com has established a business entity in South Korea to directly purchase Korean consumer goods for resale to Chinese shoppers through its B2C platform.
- •Approximately 200 Korean companies attended a briefing jointly hosted by JD.com, South Korea's Ministry of Trade, and KOTRA, resulting in agreements worth a combined $1.5 million.
- •JD.com intends to increase direct purchases of Korean beauty and food products as demand in China grows on the back of Korean culture's expanding global reach.
- •Korean consumer goods exports to China rose 8.7 percent year-on-year to $3.4 billion in the first half of 2026, signaling recovery from a post-pandemic decline.
- •The South Korean government has committed to supporting domestic companies seeking to enter the Chinese market via major e-commerce platforms such as JD.com.
Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has established a business entity in South Korea to directly purchase Korean consumer goods for sale in China, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The move comes as competition among China's major e-commerce platforms intensifies in cross-border sourcing, with JD.com vying against rivals such as Alibaba's Tmall Global to offer foreign consumer brands directly to Chinese shoppers.
The ministry, together with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and JD.com, jointly hosted a briefing on JD.com's direct-purchase business model for approximately 200 Korean consumer goods companies. The event was held at the KOTRA building in Seocho, southern Seoul.
During one-on-one meetings conducted alongside the briefing, several Korean companies signed agreements worth a combined $1.5 million to ship their products through JD.com's business-to-consumer (B2C) platform in China.
"JD.com plans to increase its direct purchases of Korean consumer goods as local demand for K-beauty and K-food products is expected to grow further on the back of the global popularity of Korean culture," a JD.com official said.
Korean beauty and food brands have built growing international followings as Korean pop culture, drama, and entertainment have expanded their reach worldwide, making them a natural category for Chinese platforms seeking differentiated products.
The South Korean government pledged full-scale support for domestic companies seeking to enter the Chinese market through major e-commerce platforms such as JD.com, the ministry stated.
Korean consumer goods exports to China reached a record high of $9.3 billion in 2021. However, shipments declined to $6.5 billion in 2025 amid the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. In the first half of 2026, exports of Korean consumer goods to China rose 8.7 percent year-on-year to $3.4 billion, signaling renewed growth momentum.
JD.com, frequently compared to Amazon in the United States, posted 260 trillion won ($183.5 billion) in sales last year.
