Launched in 1999, Alibaba.com was the first unit of Alibaba Group and is a leading B2B e-commerce marketplace. The platform has 10 million active business buyers in over 190 countries and regions.

Starting July 23, 2019, Alibaba.com is open to US businesses, giving millions of small and medium-sized businesses access to the platform’s domestic and international buyers. US businesses on the platform can sell to the rest of the world, but not initially to China. The size of the global B2B e-commerce market is $23.9 trillion, six times larger than the B2C e-commerce market, according to the US International Trade Commission.

The company has made several improvements to the platform. Sellers will have enhanced tools for online storefront set-up and design, free payment and order protection in select regions, customer-relationship management and other tools. Alibaba.com also takes no commission on sales. The company provides digital marketing tools and enhanced search algorithms for better buyer-seller matching. From ready-to-ship to fully customized, the production selection is growing, and the company continues to increase the number of US-based suppliers on the landing page of us.alibaba.com.

Alibaba.com is also adding brands and organizations that support small and medium-sized businesses. The company teamed up with Office Depot and signed up Robinson Fresh, a division of C.H. Robinson, as “Anchor Sellers” offering a broad selection of products. A growing number of business service providers on Alibaba also give customers access to member-only benefits and premium content.

Alibaba.com will co-sponsor a national tour of events with local chambers of commerce and B2B organizations. The tour will feature in-depth workshops, one-on-one training and consultation opportunities with Alibaba.com experts and exclusive offers from members of Alibaba’s ecosystem. The company will also team up with SCORE, a national non-profit network of volunteer business mentors to produce digital content.

The first event will be in Brooklyn on July 23, followed by Los Angeles on July 26 and Chicago on July 30, 2019, with more planned throughout the year.