Does cross-border e-commerce improve China’s imported product quality? – A quasi-natural experiment based on the establishment of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones

Xueyao Guo, Shuzhong Ma and Hongsheng Zhang

The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, 2025, vol. 34, issue 6, 1333-1356

Abstract: We take the establishment of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones as the quasi-natural experiment, based on China’s General Administration of Customs Database, China Customs Online Inquiry Platform, ‘Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Import Commodity List’ and other data. By employing the staggered DID method, this paper systematically investigates the potential of cross-border e-commerce to enhance the quality of imported products. The research findings reveal the following: Since the introduction of the cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones, there has been a significant improvement in the quality of imported products in China. These effects, however, vary across different product types and regions, suggesting heterogeneous impacts. The cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones have facilitated the development of import trade in China through three main avenues: reducing search costs, resolving financing challenges, and lowering tariffs. These measures have collectively contributed to the reduction of trade costs.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/09638199.2024.2378942

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