IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/eneeco/v147y2025ics0140988325004116.html

Indirect import and enterprise pollution emissions: A perspective from industrial linkage

Author

Listed:
  • Tai, Lufeng
  • Yan, Linnan
  • Pan, Minjie
  • Qian, Xinlei

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of import intermediate goods by upstream enterprises (indirect import) on the SO2 emissions of downstream enterprises. Through a benchmark regression analysis of industrial enterprise data from China, we determine an inverse correlation between indirect imports and downstream enterprises' SO2 emissions. This adverse impact is particularly pronounced when imported goods originate from developed countries, downstream enterprises are highly polluting industries, enterprises have strong technological absorption capability, or local environmental regulations are strict. Additionally, our findings indicate that energy efficiency enhancement, technological spillovers, and improvements in energy consumption structure resulting from indirect imports serve as intermediary factors affecting downstream enterprises' SO2 emissions. Further investigation suggests that the primary driver behind the reduction in pollution by downstream enterprises is clean production rather than end-of-pipe treatment.

Suggested Citation

  • Tai, Lufeng & Yan, Linnan & Pan, Minjie & Qian, Xinlei, 2025. "Indirect import and enterprise pollution emissions: A perspective from industrial linkage," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:147:y:2025:i:c:s0140988325004116
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2025.108587
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140988325004116
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.eneco.2025.108587?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Feng, Ling & Li, Zhiyuan & Swenson, Deborah L., 2016. "The connection between imported intermediate inputs and exports: Evidence from Chinese firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 86-101.
    2. Kim, Dong-Hyeon & Wu, Yi-Chen & Lin, Shu-Chin, 2020. "Carbon dioxide emissions and the finance curse," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    3. Sun, Yongping & Li, Yingyi & Yu, Tiantian & Zhang, Xinyu & Liu, Lingna & Zhang, Ping, 2021. "Resource extraction, environmental pollution and economic development: Evidence from prefecture-level cities in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    4. Castellani, Davide & Fassio, Claudio, 2019. "From new imported inputs to new exported products. Firm-level evidence from Sweden," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 322-338.
    5. Gutiérrez, Emilio & Teshima, Kensuke, 2018. "Abatement expenditures, technology choice, and environmental performance: Evidence from firm responses to import competition in Mexico," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 264-274.
    6. Liu, Qing & Qiu, Larry D., 2016. "Intermediate input imports and innovations: Evidence from Chinese firms' patent filings," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 166-183.
    7. Imbruno, Michele & Ketterer, Tobias D., 2018. "Energy efficiency gains from importing intermediate inputs: Firm-level evidence from Indonesia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 117-141.
    8. Huang, Geng & He, Ling-Yun & Lin, Xi, 2023. "Deterioration or improvement? Intermediate product import and enterprises' environmental performance," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 139-150.
    9. Yuegang Song & Yaoguo Wu & Guoying Deng & Pengfei Deng, 2021. "Intermediate Imports, Institutional Environment, and Export Product Quality Upgrading: Evidence from Chinese Micro-Level Enterprises," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(2), pages 400-426, January.
    10. Keller, Wolfgang, 2002. "Trade and the Transmission of Technology," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 5-24, March.
    11. Shiyue Zhang & Alan R. Collins & Xiaoli L. Etienne & Rijia Ding, 2021. "The Environmental Effects of International Trade in China: Measuring the Mediating Effects of Technology Spillovers of Import Trade on Industrial Air Pollution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-25, June.
    12. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Balsalobre-Lorente, Daniel & Sinha, Avik, 2019. "Foreign Direct Investment–CO2 Emissions Nexus in Middle East and North African countries: Importance of Biomass Energy Consumption," MPRA Paper 91729, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 19 Jan 2019.
    13. Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg & Amit Kumar Khandelwal & Nina Pavcnik & Petia Topalova, 2010. "Imported Intermediate Inputs and Domestic Product Growth: Evidence from India," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 125(4), pages 1727-1767.
    14. Joseph S. Shapiro & Reed Walker, 2018. "Why Is Pollution from US Manufacturing Declining? The Roles of Environmental Regulation, Productivity, and Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(12), pages 3814-3854, December.
    15. Cherniwchan, Jevan, 2017. "Trade liberalization and the environment: Evidence from NAFTA and U.S. manufacturing," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 130-149.
    16. Grossman, G.M & Krueger, A.B., 1991. "Environmental Impacts of a North American Free Trade Agreement," Papers 158, Princeton, Woodrow Wilson School - Public and International Affairs.
    17. Managi, Shunsuke & Hibiki, Akira & Tsurumi, Tetsuya, 2009. "Does trade openness improve environmental quality?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 346-363, November.
    18. Emmanuel Dhyne & Ayumu Ken Kikkawa & Magne Mogstad & Felix Tintelnot, 2021. "Trade and Domestic Production Networks," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 88(2), pages 643-668.
    19. Feng, Qiyangfan & Wei, Hao, 2023. "Import competition and firm energy intensity: Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 543-560.
    20. He, Ling-Yun & Huang, Geng, 2023. "Can importing improve the energy efficiency? Theory and evidence from Chinese industrial firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 451-469.
    21. David Rezza Baqaee, 2018. "Cascading Failures in Production Networks," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 86(5), pages 1819-1838, September.
    22. Mary Amiti & Jozef Konings, 2007. "Trade Liberalization, Intermediate Inputs, and Productivity: Evidence from Indonesia," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(5), pages 1611-1638, December.
    23. Chen, Dengke & Chen, Shiyi & Jin, Hao & Lu, Yulin, 2020. "The impact of energy regulation on energy intensity and energy structure: Firm-level evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    24. Zeng, Shihong & Li, Tengfei & Wu, Shaomin & Gao, Weijun & Li, Gen, 2024. "Does green technology progress have a significant impact on carbon dioxide emissions?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    25. Hidemichi Fujii & Kazuyuki Iwata & Shinji Kaneko & Shunsuke Managi, 2013. "Corporate Environmental and Economic Performance of Japanese Manufacturing Firms: Empirical Study for Sustainable Development," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 187-201, March.
    26. Bruno Merlevede & Angelos Theodorakopoulos, 2021. "Productivity effects of internationalisation through the domestic supply chain," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(6), pages 808-832, September.
    27. Jiang, Li & Bai, Yu, 2022. "Strategic or substantive innovation? -The impact of institutional investors' site visits on green innovation evidence from China," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    28. Yi, Ming & Wang, Yiqian & Sheng, Mingyue & Sharp, Basil & Zhang, Yao, 2020. "Effects of heterogeneous technological progress on haze pollution: Evidence from China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    29. Blalock, Garrick & Veloso, Francisco M., 2007. "Imports, Productivity Growth, and Supply Chain Learning," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 1134-1151, July.
    30. Yingying Yi & Xiaoxiao Yu & Xiaotong Sun, 2022. "Will the liberalization of intermediate trade restrain corporate pollution emissions?—Empirical evidence from Chinese micro-enterprises," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(30), pages 3521-3536, June.
    31. László Halpern & Miklós Koren & Adam Szeidl, 2015. "Imported Inputs and Productivity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(12), pages 3660-3703, December.
    32. Ethier, Wilfred J, 1982. "National and International Returns to Scale in the Modern Theory of International Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(3), pages 389-405, June.
    33. W. Walker Hanlon, 2016. "Coal Smoke and the Costs of the Industrial Revolution," NBER Working Papers 22921, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    34. Liu, Qing & Qiu, Larry D. & Zhan, Chaoqun, 2024. "FDI inflows and export quality: Domestic competition and within-firm adjustment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    35. Miaojie Yu, 2015. "Processing Trade, Tariff Reductions and Firm Productivity: Evidence from Chinese Firms," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 125(585), pages 943-988, June.
    36. Daron Acemoglu & Asuman Ozdaglar & Alireza Tahbaz-Salehi, 2017. "Microeconomic Origins of Macroeconomic Tail Risks," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(1), pages 54-108, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yu Xiang & Jing Zheng & Xunhua Tu, 2022. "The Impact of Intermediate Goods Imports on Energy Efficiency: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Cities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-23, October.
    2. Huang, Geng & Lin, Xi & He, Ling-Yun, 2025. "Global value chains participation and pollution emissions? Theory and evidence from Chinese enterprises," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    3. Ling-Yun He & Liang Wang, 2019. "Import Liberalization of Intermediates and Environment: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-15, May.
    4. Huang, Geng & He, Ling-Yun & Lin, Xi, 2023. "Deterioration or improvement? Intermediate product import and enterprises' environmental performance," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 139-150.
    5. Huang, Geng & Lin, Xi & He, Ling-Yun, 2023. "Good for the environment? Foreign investment opening in service sector and firm's energy efficiency," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PA).
    6. Jingbo Cui & On Kit Tam & Bei Wang & Yan Zhang, 2020. "The environmental effect of trade liberalization: Evidence from China's manufacturing firms," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(12), pages 3357-3383, December.
    7. Liu, Mengdi & Zhang, Bing & Liao, Xianchun, 2022. "Can trade liberalization promote green production? Evidence from China's manufacturing enterprises," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    8. Azim, Rumi & Sawhney, Aparna, 2025. "Imported inputs reduce carbon intensity: Evidence from Indian manufacturing firms," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    9. He, Ling-Yun & Huang, Geng, 2023. "Can importing improve the energy efficiency? Theory and evidence from Chinese industrial firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 451-469.
    10. He, Ling-Yun & Huang, Geng, 2022. "Are China's trade interests overestimated? Evidence from firms’ importing behavior and pollution emissions," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    11. Xi Lin & Ling-Yun He, 2023. "The More the Merrier? Evidence from Firm-Level Exports and Environmental Performance in China," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 84(1), pages 125-172, January.
    12. Akerman, Anders & Forslid, Rikard & Prane, Ossian, 2024. "Imports and the CO2 emissions of firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    13. Mo, Jiawei & Zhang, Zhe, 2024. "Neighboring capital imports and non-importer productivity: Evidence from geocoded manufacturing firms in China," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    14. Ndubuisi, Gideon & Mensah, Emmanuel & Owusu, Solomon, 2020. "Export Variety and Imported Intermediate Inputs: Industry-Level Evidence from Africa," MPRA Paper 106008, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Xi Lin & Ling‐Yun He, 2023. "‘Going global’ and pollution in home country: Evidence from Chinese industrial firms," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 1135-1174, October.
    16. Liu, Qing & Qiu, Larry D., 2016. "Intermediate input imports and innovations: Evidence from Chinese firms' patent filings," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 166-183.
    17. Du, Kerui & Liu, Xueyue & Zhao, Cheng, 2025. "The unintended consequence of trade liberalization: Input tariff reduction and firm energy rebound effect in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    18. Wang, Xiaosong & Tian, Siyuan & Zhou, Yuding & Li, Le, 2025. "Import liberalization and pollution reduction: Firm-level evidence from Chinese manufacturing," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1-18.
    19. Defever, Fabrice & Imbruno, Michele & Kneller, Richard, 2020. "Trade liberalization, input intermediaries and firm productivity: Evidence from China," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    20. Geng Huang & Xi Lin & Shuying Xu & Junyu Wang & Ling‐Yun He, 2025. "Trade policy uncertainty, export destination, and firm's pollution emissions: Analysis from theoretical perspective," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 46(4), pages 2181-2189, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:147:y:2025:i:c:s0140988325004116. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eneco .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.