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Are exporters more environmentally friendly than non-exporters? Theory and evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Cui, Jingbo
  • Lapan, Harvey E.
  • Moschini, GianCarlo

Abstract

This paper studies the firm-level relationship between decision to export and environmental performance. To guide the empirical work, we introduce environmental pollution and technology choice into a trade model with heterogeneous firms. The model predicts that a productive firm is more likely to adopt emission-saving technology and to export. Using facility-level criteria air emission data in the U.S. manufacturing industry, for a variety of pollutants, empirical tests are supportive of our two primary theoretical predictions. First, facility productivity is negatively correlated with emission intensity, measured by emissions per value of sales. Second, conditional on the estimated facility productivity and the facility's exposure to environmental regulation, exporters have lower emission per value of sales than non-exporters within the same industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Cui, Jingbo & Lapan, Harvey E. & Moschini, GianCarlo, 2012. "Are exporters more environmentally friendly than non-exporters? Theory and evidence," ISU General Staff Papers 201210040700001076, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:isu:genstf:201210040700001076
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    Cited by:

    1. Mandasari, Putriesti & Luckstead, Jeff, 2025. "Examining the nexus between exporting status and CO2 productivity in Indonesian agri-based manufacturing," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    2. Naoto JINJI & Hiroaki SAKAMOTO, 2015. "Does Exporting Improve Firms' CO₂ Emissions Intensity and Energy Intensity? Evidence from Japanese manufacturing," Discussion papers 15130, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    3. Jingbo Cui & Hang Qian, 2017. "The effects of exports on facility environmental performance: Evidence from a matching approach," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(7), pages 759-776, October.
    4. Geoffrey Barrows & Helene Ollivier, 2016. "Emission intensity and firm dynamics: reallocation, product mix, and technology in India," GRI Working Papers 245, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    5. Brian Chi-ang Lin & Siqi Zheng & Maximilian Auffhammer & Weizeng Sun & Jianfeng Wu & Siqi Zheng, 2016. "The Decomposition And Dynamics Of Industrial Carbon Dioxide Emissions For 287 Chinese Cities In 1998–2009," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 460-481, July.
    6. repec:ags:aaea22:336003 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. 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.
    8. Forslid, Rikard & Okubo, Toshihiro & Ulltveit-Moe, Karen Helene, 2018. "Why are firms that export cleaner? International trade, abatement and environmental emissions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 166-183.
    9. Mandasari, Putriesti & Luckstead, Jeff, 2023. "Examining the nexus between exporting status and CO2 productivity in Indonesian agro-based manufacturing," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 336003, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    10. Yoshifumi Konishi & Nori Tarui, 2015. "Emissions Trading, Firm Heterogeneity, and Intra-industry Reallocations in the Long Run," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 2(1), pages 1-42.
    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. 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.
    13. Vera Danilina, 2017. "Trade Integration and the Polarisation of Eco-Labelling Strategies," AMSE Working Papers 1725, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    14. Anouliès, Lisa, 2017. "Heterogeneous firms and the environment: a cap-and-trade program," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 84-101.
    15. Juin‐Jen Chang & Yi‐Ling Cheng & Shin‐Kun Peng, 2022. "Trade, emissions, and regulatory (non‐)compliance: Implications of firm heterogeneity," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 57-82, February.
    16. Matthew A. COLE & Robert J R ELLIOTT & Toshihiro OKUBO & Eric STROBL, 2015. "Natural Disasters, Industrial Clusters and Manufacturing Plant Survival," Discussion papers 15008, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    17. Roy, Jayjit & Yasar, Mahmut, 2015. "Energy efficiency and exporting: Evidence from firm-level data," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(PA), pages 127-135.
    18. Jevan Cherniwchan & Brian R. Copeland & M. Scott Taylor, 2017. "Trade and the Environment: New Methods, Measurements, and Results," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 9(1), pages 59-85, September.
    19. Azim, Rumi & Sawhney, Aparna, 2025. "Imported inputs reduce carbon intensity: Evidence from Indian manufacturing firms," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    20. Udo Kreickemeier & Philipp M. Richter, 2014. "Trade and the Environment: The Role of Firm Heterogeneity," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 209-225, May.
    21. Vera Danilina, 2017. "Polarisation of Eco-Labelling Strategies," Working Papers 2017.26, FAERE - French Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.
    22. Matthew A. COLE & Robert R.J. ELLIOTT & Toshihiro OKUBO & Liyun ZHANG, 2017. "The Pollution Outsourcing Hypothesis: An empirical test for Japan," Discussion papers 17096, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    23. Ling-Yun He & Geng Huang, 2020. "Tariff Reduction and Environment: Evidence from CAFTA and Chinese Manufacturing Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-25, March.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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