Does Cross-Border E-Commerce Contribute to the Growth Convergence? An Analysis Based on Chinese Provincial Panel Data

The impact of cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) on international trade is prominent in recent years. The authors extend the international trade model with heterogeneous firms to include CBEC export and deduce that CBEC lowers the capability threshold for export. Firms and regions with different capabilities are affected differently, but the total regional export is increasing. In the empirical analysis section, they use panel data from 31 provinces in China from 2015 to 2018 and construct proxy variables for CBEC with CBEC comprehensive pilot zones and CBEC exporters. They find that CBEC contributes to economic growth and economic convergence. The underlying mechanisms include the convergence of regional exports and total factor productivity, while the convergence of capital isn't supported by the results.