There are 88 well-known B2B platforms, including:

1stworldtradeportal, Alibaba, allactiontrade, all-biz, allpages, Allproducts, Asiannet, asianproducts, b2bfreezone, B2Brazil, berlinkauf, bestsme, bizviet, bloombiz, bossgoo, Businessvibes, BusyTrade, cantonfair, China AseanTrade, Commerce, Dhgate, Diytrade, ebiznjoy, Ec21, ec51, Ecplaza, Ecrobot, Ecvv, en.china, Esources, etradeasia, Eworldtrade, exportbureau, exporters, Exportersindia, exportpages, fibre2fashion, Foreign-trade, globalbuyersonline, globalmarket, global-trade-center, GlobalSources, Go4worldbusiness, golden-trade, himfr, hisupplier, hktdc, importbureau, indiamart, Infobanc, ipfonline, Kompass, liquidation, Made-in-China, manufacture, Manufacturers2, mercatrade, mfgtrade, Ofweek, RusB2B, Rusbiz, Rusmarket, supplierlist, taiwantrade, thomasnet, Toboc, toocle, tpage, Tradebearings, tradebig, Tradeboss, TradeDirectory, tradeeasy, Tradeford, tradeholding, tradeindia, Tradekey, trademall, trademetro, trade-ok, traderscity, Tradett, ttnet, UAE Yellowpagesonline, wholesalehub, Win.mofcom, wotol, wtexpo.

Although there are many B2B platforms in international trade, not all of them generate traffic, attract customers, or result in orders. The B2B platforms that are truly discussed and used by foreign trade professionals are limited to just three: Alibaba International (http://alibaba.com), Made-in-China (http://Made-in-China.com), and Global Sources (http://GlobalSources.com.cn).

1. Global Sources: http://GlobalSources.com.cn

Global Sources is a well-established offline professional exhibition company. Despite its long-standing focus on online business, its online results have not been ideal.

2. Made-in-China: http://Made-in-China.com

The main advantage of Made-in-China lies in the global recognition and popularity of the "Made in China" brand. The platform doesn't offer many additional features, but one key strategy can be shared: buy fixed rankings. If the keywords you buy generate traffic, you will likely receive numerous inquiries. However, if your keywords do not have much traffic, even purchasing a ranking will have little effect.

3. Alibaba: http://Alibaba.com

Using a foreign trade B2B platform is like setting up a store in a wholesale market—it’s important to choose a location with many potential customers. Although this may sound like an advertisement for Alibaba, it is indeed the reality. Alibaba’s International Marketplace stands out due to its large number of paid suppliers, vast product listings, and a high number of buyers, far surpassing the other two platforms.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Alibaba International had about 200,000 paid members. However, by December 2020, this number surged to 350,000. Today, the number has returned to about 195,000. The rise and fall of paid memberships can be understood as follows:

· Rise: As the pandemic hit, many foreign trade companies that previously only participated in offline exhibitions entered the online market. They allocated the budgets they would normally spend on exhibitions into online advertising, choosing the well-known Alibaba platform and spending generously.

· Fall: In the offline market, as long as you spend money, you can get clear customer flow, business cards, and opportunities for negotiations. If followed up properly, these can lead to sales. But in the online market, it’s different. In some industries, the cost per click can be several dozen to hundreds of dollars, and a $10,000 investment might only bring a few hundred or even just a few thousand meaningless clicks and strange inquiries. When the service period ended, some companies felt deceived and chose not to renew their memberships.

Why Have So Many Foreign Trade Companies Abandoned B2B Platforms?

B2B platforms operate under a passive marketing model, where businesses wait for customers to inquire. On these platforms, competition is fierce—not only does it depend on whether you can gain exposure, but also whether your products and prices are competitive. Increasing advertising expenses and price pressure have made it difficult for many foreign trade companies to see significant returns.

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