To explore the factors driving the growth of Chinese agricultural exports to other RCEP member countries and their impact pathways, this study utilizes HS-6 level agricultural trade data from the UN Comtrade database spanning from 2001 to 2021. By employing the H-K decomposition method, the study first conducts a ternary marginal analysis of China’s agricultural export growth to RCEP member countries. The driving factors behind the growth of different types of agricultural products in China’s exports is then investigated. Finally, the study analyzes the factors influencing the ternary marginal of overall agricultural export trade. The results indicate that: In terms of the decomposition of export growth drivers, overall, the intensive margin expansion driven by price is the primary pathway for the growth of China’s agricultural exports to RCEP countries. At the product level, the growth of horticultural crops and aquatic products is primarily attributed to the dual effect of “price and quantity increase,” while the growth of agricultural by-products, cereals and oilseeds, and livestock products mainly relies on price-driven margins. Concerning the impact factors on the total agricultural export value and ternary marginal, factors such as the economic scale of RCEP member countries, geographical distance, trade facilitation levels, and population size significantly influence both the total value and ternary marginal growth of Chinese agricultural exports.
QianX F, GongL M. Trade policy uncertainty, regional trade agreement and China’s export of manufacturing industry [J]. China Industrial Economics, 2017(10): 81-98 (in Chinese)
QinR B, MaH. The Trade and welfare effects of RCEP: A structural quantitative assessment[J]. Journal of Quantitative & Technological Economics, 2022, 39(9): 26-49 (in Chinese)
WangH S, WangH F, ZhangQ. Study on the impact of China’s import and export on the trade of the 14 RCEPs [J]. Journal of Technical Economics & Management, 2023(5): 78-84 (in Chinese)
HanJ, XuY Y. RCEP and the integration of Asia-Pacific trade agreements: A quantitative study on the agreement text [J]. China Industrial Economics, 2021(7): 81-99 (in Chinese)
LinQ Q, ZhengY, YuJ H. Competitiveness and complementarity of agricultural trade between China and RCEP Members[J]. Asia-Pacific Economic Review, 2021(1): 75-81,151 (in Chinese)
ChenY S, WangY M. Research on the structure, efficiency and influencing factors of agricultural products trade between China and RCEP member countries: Based on empirical analysis of sub-products [J]. World Agriculture. 2021(12): 72-83,106,128 (in Chinese)
FengZ C, ZhuS M. Analysis on scale, level and structure of China-ASEAN intra-industry trade of agricultural products [J]. Journal of Huazhong Agricultural University: Social Sciences Edition, 2015(4): 29-34 (in Chinses)
SunL F, ChenZ. Impact of economic openness on international competitiveness of agricultural products under the background of Belt and Road Initiative: Based on the statistics of RCEP member countries[J]. World Economy Studies, 2018(3): 81-94,136 (in Chinese)
ChengY J, LiuX. Research on the efficiency and potential of agricultural import trade between China and RCEP Countries[J]. Chinese Journal of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, 2022, 43(9): 252-262 (in Chinese)
DingY B, FengZ X. Analysis on the evolution trend and influencing factors of agricultural trade between China and RCEP countries[J]. Journal of Northeast Normal University: Philosophy and Social Sciences, 2022(5): 112-126 (in Chinese)
ChenY S. Research on the export effects and trade prospects of China’s agricultural products market in the RCEP free trade zone: Based on the stochastic model and empirical analysis of market segments [J]. China Business and Market, 2022, 36(4): 56-66 (in Chinese)
TongJ Y. Characteristics of China-Australia agricultural trade and decomposition of international competitiveness: A CMS model based on classified agricultural products [J]. Inquiry into Economic Issues, 2016(8): 155-164 (in Chinese)
YangY Y, HuangZ M. Study on the factors influencing the growth of agricultural trade between China and Vietnam under the Belt and Road Initiative: An analysis based on the modified CMS model[J]. World Agriculture. 2019(8): 4-10 (in Chinese)
DingC Z, XiaoH F. The analysis of ternary margins of China’s export of agricultural products to Southeast Asian and its influencing factors under the background of the Belt and Road [J]. Contemporaty Economic Management, 2019, 41(6): 57-65 (in Chinese)
Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Agricultural Trade Promotion Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. China Agricultural Trade Development Report[M]. Beijing: China Agricultural Press, 2021 (in Chinese)
ZhuJ, WuG S. A study on the protection effect of non-tariff trade measures for Chinese agricultural products[J]. Journal of Agrotechnical Economics, 2012(2): 9-19 (in Chinese)
DongL, NeiF, GaoQ Z. Trade facilitation of importing countries and diversification of Chinese agricultural exports: Based on the analysis of industry and income heterogeneity[J]. Journal of Agrotechnical Economics, 2022(8): 125-144 (in Chinese)
[43]
KancsA. Trade growth in a heterogeneous firm model: Evidence from South Eastern Europe[J]. The World Economy, 2007, 95(3): 704-723
[44]
ChaneyT. Distorted gravity: The intensive and extensive margins of international trade[J]. American Economic Review, 2008,98(4): 1707-1721
[45]
MelitzM J. The impact of trade on intra-lndustry reallocations and aggregate industry productivity[J]. Econometrica, 2003,71(6): 1695-1725
[46]
BaierS L, BergstrandJ H. Do free trade agreements actually increase members’ international trade [J]. Journal of International Economics, 2007,71(1): 72-95
[47]
JamesG, RobertL, JoshuaH, RyanM, SimeonD, FredM. Economic Freedom of the World: 2022 Annual Report[M].Canada: Economic Freedom Network,2022
[48]
HummelsD, SkibaA. Shipping the good apples out: An empirical confirmation of the Alchian-Allen conjecture [J]. Journal of Political Economics, 2004, 112: 1384-1402