LI Jing, CHEN Si:Does Export Enterprise Have a Higher Degree of Eco-friendliness Than Non-export One？——Based on the Test of Micro-enterprises Data

Abstract  Being involved in international trade deeply, Chinese exports enterprises have to take actions to fit ever-changing environmental barriers of other countries. This requires the export enterprises to be more eco-friendly. A simple theoretical model is generated in this paper. By considering the trade model with pollution and technique selection, it suggests that a negative relationship exists between export and emission intensity. Analyzing the micro-data of industrial enterprises in 2004 by PSM (propensity score matching) method, the results indicate the export enterprises spend 28% less on waste disposal than non-export enterprises do. This also verified the assumption that export help improve the environmental quality for an enterprise. The robustness test for different grouped data (grouped by ownership or region) illustrates that export help enterprises decrease the emission level. Policy implications suggest the government should improve the environmental regulations for the enterprises, and advocate the export and non-export enterprises to utilize sanitation production system which can eliminate the environmental differences between two types of companies. Furthermore, the government should encourage the enterprises to internalize the cost to lift up the product value and avoid the influence of green trade barriers.

Key words： Export    Pollutant Discharge Fee    Propensity Score Matching    Chinese Industrial Enterprises

Source: Finance & Trade Economics , No.10, 2014