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How Digitalization Shapes Export Product Quality: Evidence from China

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  • Qianxiao Zhang

    (School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China)

  • Yixue Duan

    (School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China)

Abstract

Digitalization has imposed new production and trade requirements on enterprises. Quality upgrading of export products, a requirement of international consumption upgrading, is also a product of enterprise industrial upgrading. We examine the impact of the digitalization of Chinese listed firms on the quality of their export products from 2011 to 2015 using the panel fixed effects model and chain mediating effects model. The results demonstrate that digitalization has an inverted U-shaped effect on the quality of export products. Further, digitalization can promote the quality upgrading of enterprises’ export products. However, the supporting capacity of digital infrastructure and the decreasing consumption upgrading of foreign customers limit this process. Empirical results show that digitalization can alleviate the financing constraints to improve the quality of export products. Because digitalization can improve human capital quality, this effect can improve the export product quality. A chain mediation effect also occurs. Digitalization alleviates financing constraints to improve human capital and enterprises’ export product quality. By clarifying digitalization⇒, alleviating financing constraints⇒, improving human capital quality⇒ improve export product quality relationships, executives can improve the competitiveness of enterprises in the international market.

Suggested Citation

  • Qianxiao Zhang & Yixue Duan, 2023. "How Digitalization Shapes Export Product Quality: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:8:p:6376-:d:1118444
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    Cited by:

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    3. Li, Weiqing, 2025. "The impact of robot adoption on quality of export products: Evidence from Chinese industrial enterprises," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    4. Jiatong Liu & Cong Hu & Yan Wu, 2025. "How Does Trade Openness Drive New-Type Urbanization in Regions of China? The Moderating Role of Industrial Upgrading," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-24, August.
    5. Jia Sun & Sasa Yang & Jincheng Li, 2025. "The Impact of Digitalization on Technological Structure of China’s Exports: An Empirical Test Based on the Panel Threshold Effect Model," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(2), pages 10004-10020, June.
    6. Lei Liu & Kai He & Yi Qiao & Peilin Fu & Qinggang Meng, 2023. "Entrepreneurship and Export Product Quality Improvement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-20, August.
    7. Ha, Le Thanh, 2023. "An investigation of digital integration's importance on smart and sustainable agriculture in the European region," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).
    8. Renhao Chen & Helian Xu, 2024. "Supply Chain Relationships, Resilience, and Export Product Quality: Analysis Based on Supply Chain Concentration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-22, October.
    9. Jinliang Wang & Qian Huang, 2025. "The Impact of Digital Transformation on the Export Technology Complexity of Manufacturing Enterprises: Based on Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-31, March.
    10. Feng Zhang & Jiao Zhang & Wei Xing & Yan Xu, 2025. "Sustainable Regional Development Under Demographic Transition: Labor Market Integration and Export Quality Enhancement in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-29, September.
    11. Huwei Wen & Yutong Liu & Fengxiu Zhou, 2023. "Promoting the International Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Through Cross-Border E-Commerce Development," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.

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