Lebanon Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in lebanon, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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eCommerce
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Despite slow internet speeds and high connectivity costs, eCommerce ventures have emerged in retail fashion, food and beverage, banking, electronics, and home accessories, largely as a result of business closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Most eCommerce platforms accept cash upon delivery.  Although COVID-19 has played a pivotal role in accelerating digital adoption in the industry, B2B companies in Lebanon have been slow to digitize their offerings due to complex legacy technology environments, organizational structures, and concerns surrounding information security and the rise of a cash economy.  B2B e-commerce companies have witnessed increased online transactions through online applications, websites, and Instagram accounts.  Payments can be completed through either cash upon delivery or “fresh dollar” debit and credit cards (i.e. cards linked to “fresh dollar” accounts), including international credit cards.  Despite the rise of B2B eCommerce companies, some are still in the early stages of growth, and rely on the salesperson’s personal relationship with the client.  Even though the complexity of B2B products and pricing necessitates offline interactions and transactions to a certain extent, factors such as the rise of social media, online catalogues, and product marketplaces are playing an important role in the industry’s digital transformation.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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