关键词: 二元边际, 出口质量, 文化产品出口附加值

Abstract:

Based on the data of cultural trade products under the UN COMTRADE HS96-6 digit code from 1996 to 2016, this paper constructs cultural trade export dual margin and cultural product export value-added variables to conduct an empirical analysis of the effect of the dual margin of cultural trade on the added value of the exported cultural products. It is found that the intensive margin promotes the export added value of cultural products in the short term, but in the long run, the expansive margin promotes the stable and continuous growth of the export added value of cultural products. The greater the intensive margin, the larger the export scale and the larger the market share it occupies in the export destination country, the lower the production and export costs of enterprises under the effect of economies of scale, and the higher the added value of cultural products export. The expansive margin promotes the export added value of cultural products by expanding the scope and types of exports to meet consumer’s preferences. In turn, the learning effect of the manufacturers is improved, thereby increasing the added value of cultural products export.
Among the samples of different types of core cultural products, there are still significant differences in the impact of the two on the added value of cultural products export. The projections of music and handicraft products are consistent with the benchmark estimates, and the coefficient of the expansive margin is significantly positive, that is, the higher the expansive margin, the wider the scope and types of exports. The coefficients of the intensive margins of the other three types of cultural products-visual products, photography and audio-visual products-are significantly positive, and the coefficients of the expansive margins are significantly negative, indicating that the export of these categories of products is still at the developmental stage and not yet mature, and at this stage mainly depends on the intensive marginal growth, thereby reducing costs through economies of scale, opening up the international market, and realizing the increase in the added value of cultural products export. However, the increase in the expansive margin at this stage may inhibit the increase in the added value of cultural products by increasing export costs. At the same time, the coefficients of the intensive margin and the expansive margin show that, except for musical instrument products, the coefficients of the binary margins of other products are usually opposite in positive and negative values, indicating that the growth of the binary margin of cultural trade exports may be biased: the export of cultural products in the early period may be mainly along the intensive marginal growth, in the middle and later periods, the marginal growth is mainly expanded to increase the added value of cultural products exports. In addition, product prices, tariffs, and cultural differences with export destination countries all have significant impacts on the added value of cultural products export.
Compared with samples with smaller cultural distances, the regression coefficients of the binary margins of samples with larger cultural distances are all smaller, which to a certain extent indicates that larger cultural distances possibly weaken the role of the dual margin of cultural trade exports in promoting the added value of cultural products export.
This study also finds that under different durations, both the intensive margin and the expansive margin have positive impacts on the added value of cultural products export, but China’s cultural trade is still concentrated on the intensive marginal growth. Moreover, the growth of the intensive margin weakens as the duration of trade links extends. The contribution of the expansive margin to the promotion of the added value of cultural products export is more stable.
Furthermore, through the study of the mediating effect model, it is found that the indirect effect of the dual margin on the added value of cultural products through affecting the product quality is significant, and the direct effect of the dual margin directly affecting the added value of cultural products is also significant. The regression coefficient of the export quality is negative, showing the masking effect of the export quality as a mediating variable. The increase of the dual margin is conducive to the improvement of the export quality and the added value of cultural products, but the export quality presents a negative inhibitory effect on the added value of cultural products. This masking effect indicates that the impact of the dual margin of cultural trade exports on the added value of cultural products may have other intermediary variables besides the export quality. The inhibitory effect of the export quality may be due to the dual margin that promotes companies to improve the product quality, while at the same time the company’s innovation input and costs have further increased, thereby inhibiting the increase in the added value of cultural products export to a certain extent.
In addition, a robustness test is conducted through different regression methods and an endogeneity test is carried out in combination with instrumental variables. It is concluded that effectively improving the dual margin of China's cultural trade exports, and then exerting its promotion effect on the growth of the added value of cultural products export have important practical significance and value for the sustainable development of the cultural trade.

Key words: Dual Margin, Export Quality, Added Value of Cultural Products Export