作为比较劣势的空气污染
Air pollution as comparative disadvantage
Journal of Public Economics · 2026 · [{"name": "Shi-Ting He", "affiliation": ["Shanghai University of Finance and Economics"]}, {"name": "Liugang Sheng", "affiliation": ["Chinese University of Hong Kong"]}, {"name": "Peng Zhang", "affiliation": ["Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen"]}]
中文摘要
本文首次考察空气污染对出口商在全球市场中比较优势的影响及其后续战略反应。利用2000年至2007年中国全面的企业-产品出口数据，并利用由逆温引发的空气污染外生变化进行识别，我们估计空气污染加剧会通过对劳动生产率的不利影响而损害出口。这一效应在劳动密集型产品上尤为显著，促使企业调整产品范围，减少劳动密集型品种的占比。此外，规模较大的企业对上述不利影响表现出更强的韧性。定量分析表明，改善中国空气质量将显著提升其比较优势与总体福利，同时也使世界其他地区受益。
Abstract
This paper is the first to examine the impact of air pollution on exporters’ comparative advantage in the global market and their ensuing strategic responses. Using comprehensive firm-product export data from China spanning 2000 to 2007 and exploiting exogenous variation in air pollution induced by thermal inversions for identification, we estimate a detrimental effect of increased air pollution on exports through its adverse impact on labor productivity. The effects are particularly pronounced for labor-intensive products, prompting firms to restructure their product scope away from labor-intensive varieties. Moreover, larger firms exhibit greater resilience to these adverse effects. The quantitative analysis demonstrates that improving air quality in China would significantly enhance its comparative advantage and aggregate welfare, while also benefiting the rest of the world.