The impact of robot adoption on quality of export products: Evidence from Chinese industrial enterprises

Weiqing Li

Journal of Asian Economics, 2025, vol. 97, issue C

Abstract: Based on micro-matched data from the China Industrial Enterprise Database and China Customs Database from 2006 to 2015, this paper systematically examines the impact and mechanism of robot adoption on the quality of Chinese enterprises' export products. It is found that robot adoption significantly promotes the quality upgrading of enterprises' export products, and the finding remains robust after a series of tests. The heterogeneity test shows that the promotion effect of robot adoption is more significant among large-scale enterprises, private enterprises, and non-high-tech enterprises. Mechanism studies show that robot adoption promotes quality upgrading of enterprises' export products mainly through channel mechanisms such as product competition, trade expansion, and first-mover advantage, and product competition involves a coexistence of "price competition" and "quality competition," with "quality competition" taking the lead. This paper provides favorable evidence to support the development of China's robotics sector and provides useful reference ideas for enterprises to upgrade the quality of export products.

Keywords: Robot adoption; Export product quality; Competitive effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:asieco:v:97:y:2025:i:c:s1049007824001660

DOI: 10.1016/j.asieco.2024.101871

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