Today Online
Date: May 18, 2015

TAIPEI — Taiwan has given Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding

The logo of Alibaba Group is seen inside the company’s headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Photo: Reuters

six months to wind down its online marketplace Taobao’s operations on the island after it failed to apply for the permit required for a mainland Chinese company to do business there, Taipei authorities said today (May 18).

An official at Taiwan’s Investment Commission said a fine of T$240,000 (S$10,440) has also been imposed on Taobao in what is the second case of an Alibaba operation falling foul of the permit rules for mainland China companies this year. In March, Alibaba.com was told to leave Taiwan within six months and fined T$120,000 for a similar reason.

While the fine is small and Taiwanese shoppers can continue to order goods via Taobao’s mainland base in future, the permits glitch is an unwelcome headache for Alibaba as its seeks to grow business outside its mainland base.     [FULL  STORY]