Research on the Application of Blockchain Technology in the Cross-border E-Commerce Supply Chain Domain

Abstract

Blockchain technology is considered as one of the most important revolutionary technologies in human society after the Internet technology, which has been highly commended by academia and industry, but there is still insufficient understanding about what blockchain technology can exactly do for cross-border e-commerce. This paper aims to depict how blockchain technology can assist in the cross-border e-commerce supply chain domain. Through a comprehensive literature review, four major challenges were identified and discussed in the current cross-border e-commerce supply chain domain, namely: lack of security; high logistics transportation cost and long distribution time; complicated cross-border settlement procedures; and lack of product traceability. Afterwards, based on the features of blockchain technology, this paper discussed the feasibility and a number of scenarios to reveal how blockchain technology can be applied to improve cross-border e-commerce supply chain activities. In the end, four strategic recommendations were put forward to better promote the application of blockchain technology in cross-border e-commerce: 1) promote the research and application of blockchain technology actively; 2) accelerate talent training of blockchain technology; 3) establish a legal system for the blockchain technology application; and 4) develop an ecosystem of ‘blockchain + cross-border e-commerce’. This paper will be of interest and value to practitioners and researchers who are concerned with blockchain technology usage in cross-border e-commerce contexts.