B2B e-Commerce in emerging economies: I-metal.com's non-ferrous metals exchange in China

Existing examples of Business-to-Business (B2B) e-Commerce in the literature tend to be drawn from the experience in developed economies, and existing theories are also implicitly grounded in this context. Emerging economies present a significantly different business context, owing largely to their less developed financial, legal, and physical infrastructures. Emerging or non-western economies also have different business philosophies and cultures, which influence the relationship between companies and the marketplace. As an example of the challenges facing an electronic marketplace in an emerging economy, the experience of i-Metal.com Limited in setting up a non-ferrous metals exchange in China is examined in detail. It becomes apparent that setting up a successful B2B marketplace in emerging or non-western economies may require the creation of basic services that are taken for granted in developed economies, as well as requiring a careful consideration of the underlying business philosophy and culture. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.