Jack Ma and a group of co-founders established Alibaba in Hangzhou in 1999 to connect Chinese manufacturers and wholesalers with buyers worldwide through an online business-to-business marketplace. The company later launched consumer-facing platforms and digital payment services, becoming a central node in China's export economy and in global digital retail more broadly. Alibaba's growth paralleled China's broader economic opening and its expanding role in global manufacturing trade.
Relevance to Trade History
Alibaba demonstrated how internet platforms could scale cross-border trade for small and mid-sized manufacturers, reinforcing China's position as a global manufacturing and export hub.
Read the full story in our article E-Commerce and the Reordering of Global Retail.
Source: World Economic Forum. See our Sources & Methodology page for how we select and verify references.