eBay Inc. was pleased to host an engaged delegation of Polish government officials and business executives, in town for US-Poland Innovation Week, at headquarters last week. The group of 28 experienced the company’s new and emerging technologies during a tour of eBay Inc.’s Innovation Showcase and participated in a discussion about how cross-border trade enabled through eBay Inc. platforms is helping Polish businesses of all sizes succeed locally and globally.

Small- and medium-sized businesses involved in cross-border trade often have the highest growth rates and potential as the Internet breaks down barriers to entry into export markets – and eBay Inc. is enabling this growth. In fact, over 90% of sellers on eBay export, compared to only 5-20% through traditional trade! In addition, on average, commercial sellers selling abroad on eBay reach 19 different countries whereas traditional sellers reach only 3-4.

Policy is critical in supporting the way technology is changing commerce and in bringing down the barriers that occur where a now globally-interconnected digital world meets a still divided physical world. To that end, eBay Inc. is working to break down existing trade barriers by advocating for trade policies that better enable this growth and increase welfare gains in countries around the globe. We look forward to continuing to work with the Polish government and business partners in support of these efforts.

Thank you to the Embassy of the Republic of Poland for their coordination and the delegation for their visit to eBay Inc. You can get more information about the Embassy’s Silicon Valley Accelerator and follow them on Twitter.