This week eBay's Kristen Foster addressed a joint initiative of the US Embassy in Singapore and Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a Third Country Training Program in Singapore. The focus was on SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) ecosystems and benefits of ecommerce in enabling SMEs. More than 40 government representatives from throughout ASEAN attended the private Roundtable session.  

One of the issues discussed was regulatory barriers that impede SME development and how marketplaces like eBay can assist in growing small business via cross border trade. Harmonization of ecommerce laws and free trade deals were also workshopped.

eBay will continue its involvement with the US Government in the ASEAN region in regards to SME-based programs. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to address a private sector Roundtable on behalf of our customers, alongside other industry stakeholders such as Microsoft and Google.