CHINA’S US$1 trillion online market may not be enough for homegrown giants Alibaba and JD.com. The country’s two biggest e-commerce players are now trying to appeal to businesses and customers in the United States.

Both companies, against the backdrop of Sino-U.S. trade tensions, have been growing their efforts to expand in the U.S. market by partnering with local companies: JD.com quietly started to sell on Google to consumers and Alibaba has partnered with Office Depot to attract small businesses.

Alibaba, the Hangzhou, China-based online marketplace, announced a strategic partnership with Office Depot on Monday, aiming to provide a one-stop solution for U.S. small businesses who shop for office supplies in the United States and source their products from China. Small businesses who spend over US$200 on Alibaba platforms can receive exclusive offers on officedepot.com and in Office Depot stores across the United States.

“To me, this is a huge opportunity for both companies to bring I think a unique value that could compete against the other guys in North America,” Office Depot CEO Gerry Smith said.

Alibaba’s head of North America B2B John Caplan believes the partnership will be complementary because Alibaba focuses on customized manufactured goods, while Office Depot mainly sells finished goods like printers.

Alibaba’s chairman Jack Ma vowed to create 1 million jobs in the United States by helping small businesses in January 2017, a promise he later backed down from because of the trade tension.

JD.com, China’s second-largest e-commerce platform, is taking a different approach. Instead of going after enterprise customers in the United States, JD.com is targeting the average American shopper.

After Google announced a US$550 million investment in JD.com in June, the Chinese company quietly began selling products on Google’s shopping site Google Express this year. There are currently more than 1,000 products listed on Google Express from Joybuy, a JD.com-owned English shopping website for overseas customers.

Among the items listed are electronics and hair extensions, which can be delivered within four days. A JD.com spokesperson confirmed that products were listed on Google Express this year, and said it is still in a testing phase.

JD.com has pledged to offer a more seamless experience for U.S. customers through the Google partnership. In China, JD.com is known for its ultra-fast delivery and extensive supply chain.

“Obviously we don’t have that same kind of infrastructure in the United States, we’re looking at what we can do to get something close to the kind of shopping experiences we want to have,” the JD.com spokesperson said.

Amazon, an e-commerce giant in the United States, hasn’t had much luck in China and is reportedly considering selling its China business to domestic player NetEase. In 2019, China is expected to account for nearly 56 percent of all online retail sales globally, while the U.S. market is projected to contribute 17 percent, according to an eMarketer report.(SD-Agencies)