The Impact of Trade Digitization on the Export Resilience of Enterprises: Empirical Evidence from China

Based on transaction cost theory, this paper uses enterprise samples matched from the China Industrial Enterprise Database and the China Customs Import and Export Database (2000–2014) to empirically analyze how trade digitization affects the export resilience of Chinese enterprises. Results show that trade digitization significantly enhances export resilience, with findings remaining robust after rigorous tests for endogeneity and robustness. Further analysis indicates that the effect is stronger for enterprises in western and central regions, foreign-invested firms, private firms, and small-scale enterprises. Key mechanisms include export market diversification, product diversification, improved technological innovation, and reduced financing constraints.