Towards green trade: Digital economy and export quality of green products

Abstract

The digital economy not only drives economic growth but also supports green development, creating new opportunities for enterprises to excel in high-quality green exports. Initially, we constructed a theoretical model to assess how the digital economy influences the export quality of green products. Subsequently, we conducted empirical analyses to examine its impact and the mechanisms underlying factor allocation. Our findings underscore that the digital economy significantly aids enterprises in enhancing the export quality of green products. This positive impact primarily arises from the optimized allocation of capital, labor, and technology. Furthermore, through its effects on product entry and exit dynamics, the digital economy effectively identifies and promotes high-quality products while filtering out inferior ones. Consequently, there is an overall improvement in the export quality of green products. This study provides new empirical evidence on how the digital economy fosters the enhancement of green product quality. It contributes to the literature on the influence of digital technologies on green development and offers practical recommendations for advancing green trade.