IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v11y2024i1d10.1057_s41599-024-02792-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Double-edged sword: China’s free trade agreements reinforces embodied greenhouse gas transfers in agricultural products

Author

Listed:
  • Yanyong Hu

    (Henan Normal University)

  • Zhixiao Zou

    (Beijing Normal University
    Beijing Normal University)

  • Jiaxi Wu

    (China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing))

  • Zheng Meng

    (Shihezi University)

Abstract

China, as the world’s largest importer, heavily relies on agricultural products. However, the impact of China’s free trade agreements (FTAs) on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions embodied in agricultural product imports has been overlooked. It’s crucial to analyze changes in embodied GHG emissions resulting from FTAs. We categorize 367 agricultural products into 15 categories and construct a dataset on the embodied GHG emissions of these products imported by China from 119 countries between 2000 and 2015. Using the Propensity Score Matching (PSM)-progressive difference-in-differences (DID) method, our findings indicate that China’s FTAs have double-edged impact on agricultural product imports. It has positively influenced imports, with a 12.22% annual growth rate, promoting economic integration. However, it has negatively affected GHG emissions, leading to a 53.00% increase in emissions from agricultural imports. These findings highlight the importance of addressing production and consumption in reducing GHG strategies with agricultural products.

Suggested Citation

  • Yanyong Hu & Zhixiao Zou & Jiaxi Wu & Zheng Meng, 2024. "Double-edged sword: China’s free trade agreements reinforces embodied greenhouse gas transfers in agricultural products," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-02792-1
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-02792-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-024-02792-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-024-02792-1?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. David Laborde & Abdullah Mamun & Will Martin & Valeria Piñeiro & Rob Vos, 2021. "Agricultural subsidies and global greenhouse gas emissions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Guojun He & Yuhang Pan & Takanao Tanaka, 2020. "The short-term impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on urban air pollution in China," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(12), pages 1005-1011, December.
    3. Adrian Foong & Prajal Pradhan & Oliver Frör & Jürgen P. Kropp, 2022. "Adjusting agricultural emissions for trade matters for climate change mitigation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Baker, Andrew C. & Larcker, David F. & Wang, Charles C.Y., 2022. "How much should we trust staggered difference-in-differences estimates?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(2), pages 370-395.
    5. Fanghella, Valeria & D'Adda, Giovanna & Tavoni, Massimo, 2022. "Evaluating the impact of technological renovation and competition on energy consumption in the workplace," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    6. Nie, Fei & Li, Jian & Bi, Xiang & Li, Gucheng, 2022. "Agricultural trade liberalization and domestic fertilizer use: Evidence from China-ASEAN free trade agreement," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    7. Jia, Ruining & Shao, Shuai & Yang, Lili, 2021. "High-speed rail and CO2 emissions in urban China: A spatial difference-in-differences approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    8. Shilong Piao & Philippe Ciais & Yao Huang & Zehao Shen & Shushi Peng & Junsheng Li & Liping Zhou & Hongyan Liu & Yuecun Ma & Yihui Ding & Pierre Friedlingstein & Chunzhen Liu & Kun Tan & Yongqiang Yu , 2010. "The impacts of climate change on water resources and agriculture in China," Nature, Nature, vol. 467(7311), pages 43-51, September.
    9. Prajal Pradhan & Jürgen P. Kropp, 2020. "Interplay between Diets, Health, and Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-14, May.
    10. Thompson, Henry & Toledo, Hugo, 2022. "Renewable versus nonrenewable energy for Canada in a free trade agreement with China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    11. Lugovskyy, Volodymyr & Skiba, Alexandre, 2015. "How geography affects quality," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 156-180.
    12. Drabo, Alassane, 2017. "Climate change mitigation and agricultural development models: Primary commodity exports or local consumption production?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 110-125.
    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. Lan, Xiujuan & Hu, Zheneng & Wen, Chuanhao, 2023. "Does the opening of high-speed rail enhance urban entrepreneurial activity? Evidence from China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    2. Li, Pei & Liu, Kaihao & Lu, Yi & Peng, Lu, 2025. "Organizing regulatory structure and local air quality: Evidence from the environmental vertical management reform in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 139-164.
    3. Nie, Song, 2024. "Does intellectual property rights protection matter for low-carbon transition? The role of institutional incentives," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    4. Xie, Yanqi & Khan, Aftab & Wang, Yumeng & Waqas, Muhammad & Ke, Shuifa, 2025. "Evaluating the impact of agricultural economic quality and energy consumption on greenhouse gas emissions: Evidence from China's major grain-producing regions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 393(C).
    5. Jiang, Wei & Jiang, Nana & Wang, Ke-Liang, 2025. "The local effects and neighborhood effects of high-speed railway on urban entrepreneurial vitality: Evidence from China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    6. He, Yichao & Wang, Huili & Zheng, Yixuan & Feng, Yueyi & Chen, Xiaojun & Jin, Ling & Lei, Yu, 2025. "Revealing air quality impacts of the clean heating campaign in northern China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    7. Panxian Wang & Zimeng Ren & Guanghua Qiao, 2023. "How Does Agricultural Trade Liberalization Have Environmental Impacts? Evidence from a Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-18, June.
    8. Chen, Jingjing & Chen, Wei & Liu, Ernest & Luo, Jie & Song, Zheng, 2025. "The economic cost of locking down like China: Evidence from city-to-city truck flows," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    9. He, Liuyue & Xu, Zhenci & Wang, Sufen & Bao, Jianxia & Fan, Yunfei & Daccache, Andre, 2022. "Optimal crop planting pattern can be harmful to reach carbon neutrality: Evidence from food-energy-water-carbon nexus perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 308(C).
    10. Ichev, Riste & Valentinčič, Aljoša, 2025. "The effect of impact investing on performance of private firms," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(PA).
    11. Chen, Natalie & Juvenal, Luciana, 2022. "Markups, quality, and trade costs," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    12. Lee, Munseob & Finerman, Rachel, 2021. "COVID-19, commuting flows, and air quality," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    13. Alex Hollingsworth & Krzysztof Karbownik & Melissa A. Thomasson & Anthony Wray, 2024. "The Gift of a Lifetime: The Hospital, Modern Medicine, and Mortality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(7), pages 2201-2238, July.
    14. Carballo, Jerónimo & Schaur, Georg & Graziano, Alejandro & Volpe Martincus, Christian, 2016. "Transit Trade," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 7688, Inter-American Development Bank.
    15. Yan, Sen & Sun, Xinyu & Zhang, Yurong, 2024. "High-speed railway ripples on the greenness: Insight from urban green vegetation cover," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    16. Ding, Yimin & Wang, Weiguang & Song, Ruiming & Shao, Quanxi & Jiao, Xiyun & Xing, Wanqiu, 2017. "Modeling spatial and temporal variability of the impact of climate change on rice irrigation water requirements in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 89-101.
    17. Zhipeng Tang & Ziao Mei & Jialing Zou, 2021. "Does the Opening of High-Speed Railway Lines Reduce the Carbon Intensity of China’s Resource-Based Cities?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, July.
    18. Bu, Lingduo & Chen, Xinping & Li, Shiqing & Liu, Jianliang & Zhu, Lin & Luo, Shasha & Lee Hill, Robert & Zhao, Ying, 2015. "The effect of adapting cultivars on the water use efficiency of dryland maize (Zea mays L.) in northwestern China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 1-9.
    19. Andrea Baranzini & Stefano Carattini & Linda Tesauro, 2021. "Designing Effective and Acceptable Road Pricing Schemes: Evidence from the Geneva Congestion Charge," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 79(3), pages 417-482, July.
    20. Andrew G. Sutherland & Matthias Uckert & Felix W. Vetter, 2024. "Occupational Licensing and Minority Participation in Professional Labor Markets," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 62(2), pages 453-503, May.

    More about this item

    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:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-02792-1. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    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.