WCA Ltd. and Alibaba.com have signed a cooperation agreement under which approved WCA member companies will be integrated into the Alibaba.com logistics platform for cross-border e-commerce shipments.

The collaboration begins in January 2017.

International logistics providers that have been vetted and approved by WCA will be able to compete for orders generated on Alibaba.com.

“The fact that Alibaba.com has recognized the quality, global strength and professionalism of WCA and its members will open up vast new opportunities for business growth for independent freight forwarders”, said Dan March, chief executive officer of WCA. “Many of our member companies are already heavily involved in many facets of cross-border e-commerce logistics. The strict qualification process for our newly formed WCA e-commerce network will provide reassurance that the services provided by our members can facilitate merchants on Alibaba.com to accelerate their global trading.”

WCA and Alibaba.com have already agreed on a set of parameters and standards of service, and will offer a protection scheme providing compensation for qualifying transactions.

“We are thrilled to partner with WCA, a global network with well-connected global resources, to provide fast and convenient shipping options for our members,” said Steve Su, director of Alibaba Logistics [right in photo]. “'We are committed to offering premium services to global SMEs on our platform who are looking to scale up their business presence through cross-border trading. We are confident partnering with a leading global logistics alliance such as WCA will help us achieve that goal.”

David Yokeum, chairman of WCA [left in photo], said that the world is changing rapidly and that the network is working hard to make sure that its members can take advantage of the growth in e-commerce.

“Alibaba.com has shown both determination and innovation in forming this partnership and we fully expect the business to flourish,” he said. “We are putting both independent forwarders and Alibaba.com traders at the vanguard of change in this exciting and dynamic market.”