It was announced that payment services provider Payoneer has partnered logistics and fulfillment services company Quantium Solutions to "provide global cross-border payment solutions for the latter’s international e-commerce and mail-order business operators".

"Quantium customers can become Payoneer accountholders, so they can receive commercial payments from companies in the US and around the world. Payoneer’s service can be used by a wide range of international e-commerce and mail order business operators, providing customers with full control over their money and enabling them to withdraw funds to their local bank account or at local ATMs."

According to this, online group vendor Groupon has selected Borderlinx Global eCommerce Solutions to help facilitate Canadian cross-border US sales.

"Through Borderlinx's compliant cross-border trade solutions, Groupon is able to provide its Canadian customers with the capability to purchase a broader selection of Groupon Goods deals available in the US and ship them to Canada."

"Customers know the full price in Canadian currency they'll pay for a Groupon Goods item and are protected from unexpected taxes, duties and import costs that are often associated with these types of sales."

In 2013, UNESCAP published a report "Study on regional arrangements for facilitation of cross-border paperless trade in Asia and the Pacific".

"It is found that successful creation of a cross-border paperless trading environment in any country would require a strong political will, administrative leadership to manage a changeover, and effective participation by trade in addition to creation of a suitable legal framework and marshalling of necessary technological, human and financial resources."

"It seems logical to suggest that a country should first re-engineer and simplify existing business processes, carry out data harmonization, and establish a national single window system before embarking upon cross-border paperless exchange of trade-related data and documents."

In 2013, European Commission published a report titled "Consumer attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection". This report presents the results of the Flash Eurobarometer survey carried out in September 2012.

"More than half (53%) of European consumers have made at least one online purchase in the twelve months preceding September 2012. (...) A fast uptake of e-commerce can be observed in all 27 Member States, with the strongest development observed in Slovakia (56%, + 50), Ireland (66%, +41), Poland (56%, + 38), the Czech Republic (62%, + 38) and Cyprus (41%, + 35)."

"The Internet is used to make purchases mainly from sellers or providers based in the respondent's own country. "

"The proportion of consumers who purchased at least once from a provider or a seller based in another EU country has nearly tripled since 2006 to reach 15% of the European Consumers in 2012. This proportion is particularly high in the smaller Member States, where shopping online across borders concern more people: for example in Malta (42% of the consumers used a cross-border seller or provider at least once vs. 11% who used a domestic one), Luxembourg (41% vs. 14%), and Cyprus (31% vs. 5%)."

"Internet access makes individuals more likely to shop online both domestically and cross-border."

"59% of EU consumers feel confident about purchasing via the Internet from a retailer/provider located in their own country, but only 36% feel confident about purchasing via the Internet from a vendor located in another EU country."

"Confidence among people who have not made an online purchase is lower: 54% would be confident about purchasing domestically, but only 27% would feel confident about cross-border purchasing."

Last year, PayPal published a report titled "Modern Spice Routes: The Cultural Impact of Cross-Border Shopping" (summary infographic here).

According to the report, top purchase categories for cross-border shoppers were: clothes, shoes and accessories ($12.5 billion); health and beauty products ($7.6 billion); personal electronics ($6 billion); computer hardware ($6 billion); jewellery, gems and watches ($5.8 billion); and home electronics ($5.4 billion). The main reasons for shopping online from overseas merchants are: “buying online to save money” (80%) and “more variety that cannot be found locally” (79%).

“Cross-border trade is nothing new. Our local stores are filled with goods from around the world. What is new is how easy it has become for consumers to shop online directly from merchants around the world and the massive opportunity that represents,” - David Marcus, president of PayPal.