Abstract: Based on the data of China's customs import and export and A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2015, this paper explores the causal effect of digital infrastructure on enterprises' export quality and the influence mechanism. It is found that digital infrastructure promotes the upgrading of enterprises' export quality by alleviating the information friction between supply and demand. Mechanism analysis shows that digital infrastructure promotes product quality through the labor allocation effect, the demand information transfer effect and the quality reputation effect. The heterogeneity analysis indicates that digital infrastructure has a stronger impact on the trade quality of state-owned enterprises, multi-product firms, multi-market firms and generally traded goods. The scalability analysis finds that the digital transformation of enterprises and the construction of regional digital government will magnify the export quality improvement effect of digital infrastructure. The above conclusions provide micro-level empirical evidence for digital infrastructure enabling the high-quality development of trade, and have important policy implications for promoting the construction of “digital strengthening trade” project in China.

Key words: Digital Infrastructure, Information Friction, Products Quality

摘要： 本文基于2007—2015年中国海关进出口数据和A股上市公司数据,探讨数字基础设施对企业出口质量的因果效应及作用机制。研究发现,数字基础设施通过缓解供需双侧信息摩擦推动企业出口质量升级,通过劳动力配置效应、需求信息传递效应和质量声誉效应促进产品质量提升,对国有企业、多产品出口企业、多市场出口企业和一般贸易产品的贸易质量具有更强影响。同时,企业数字化转型和地区数字政府建设将放大数字基础设施的出口质量提升效应。上述结论提供了数字基础设施赋能贸易高质量发展的微观层面经验证据,对推进我国“数字强贸”工程建设具有重要的政策启示意义。

关键词: 数字基础设施, 信息摩擦, 产品质量