A Study on the Relationship Between Cross-border E-commerce, Business Environment, and High-quality Development of Foreign Trade

Abstract

An essential factor in achieving high-quality development of foreign trade is cross-border e-commerce, which serves as a new catalyst for trade growth. This paper empirically analyzes the impact of cross-border e-commerce on the high-quality development of foreign trade using China's provincial panel data from 2013 to 2021. The study employs the static fixed effect model and dynamic Gram Molecular Mass (GMM) regression model to investigate the relationship, and further utilizes the mechanism effect model to explore the role of the business environment. The findings demonstrate that the emergence of cross-border e-commerce has significantly facilitated the growth of international trade. By improving the structure and increasing the level, scale, and competitiveness of foreign trade, it directly promotes the high-quality development of foreign trade. Moreover, the impact of cross-border e-commerce is more pronounced in regions with high Internet penetration rates compared to those with low rates.