Industrial robot application and export product scope: empirical evidence from China

Abstract

This paper explores the influence of industrial robot applications on the scope of export products by using matching data of Chinese enterprise-export products from 2000–2013 and the propensity score matching and difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) method. The study finds that the application of industrial robots can significantly promote the scope of export products of Chinese enterprises, and the conclusion is still robust after the robustness and endogeneity test. This study supports the view that industrial intelligence is profoundly impacting the trend and pattern of global trade from the perspective of resource allocation within multi-product enterprises.