Effects of export sophistication on marine pollution: Evidence from Chinese coastal regions
Xina Ji, Xingong Ding, Shuping Lin, Xiaoxuan Xie

TL;DR
This study finds that higher export sophistication in China's coastal regions reduces marine pollution, but the effect is influenced by factors like environmental regulation and industrial structure.
Contribution
The study introduces a novel empirical analysis of how export sophistication affects marine pollution in Chinese coastal regions.
Findings
Higher export sophistication significantly reduces marine pollution in the short and long term.
Environmental regulation, port size, and industrial structure weaken the pollution-reducing effect of export sophistication.
Green technological innovation partially mediates the impact of export sophistication on pollution reduction.
Abstract
Trade liberalization has accelerated export growth in China’s coastal regions, becoming a major driving force behind local economic development. However, this rapid expansion has also imposed severe environmental pressures on marine ecosystems. As a key indicator for assessing the technological content and quality level of export structures, export sophistication warrants in-depth investigation regarding its potential impact on the marine environment. Drawing on panel data from 11 coastal regions in China between 2011 and 2022, this study employs a two-way fixed-effects model to empirically examine the relationship between export sophistication and marine pollution. The baseline regression results show that higher export sophistication significantly reduces marine pollution. The System GMM dynamic panel analysis further confirms a lagged, long-term pollution-reducing effect. Moreover,…
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Taxonomy
TopicsEnergy, Environment, Economic Growth · Coastal and Marine Management · Maritime Ports and Logistics
