Does Artificial Intelligence Improve Export Technical Complexity Upgrade of Manufacturing Enterprises? Evidence from China

Abstract

Export technical complexity is an effective indicator to measure the upgrading of a country’s trade structure and high-quality development of trade. This study examines the impact of artificial intelligence on the export technical complexity upgrading of Chinese manufacturing enterprises at the enterprise and industry levels. It analyses matched data from the China Customs and Chinese Industrial Enterprises databases from 2000 to 2015. The results show that artificial intelligence promotes the upgrading of export technical complexity in Chinese manufacturing enterprises. The impact of artificial intelligence on upgrading export technical complexity is dynamic, showing an “inverted U-shape.” Heterogeneity test results indicate that artificial intelligence has a greater effect on export technical complexity upgrading if it features high-tech complexity, or the enterprises are local or in the eastern region of China. The mechanism results indicate that artificial intelligence significantly promotes labor productivity and innovation to upgrade China’s manufacturing enterprises’ export technical complexity. Finally, industry-level analysis shows that the application intensity of artificial intelligence substantially affects the average export technical complexity upgrades of Chinese manufacturing enterprises through spillover effects and resource reallocation effects. These findings promote upgrading export technical complexity at the enterprise and industry levels.