Mechanism and Empirical Research on the Influence of Digital Economy on Export Trade in the Yangtze River Delta Region

This paper utilizes panel data from all 41 prefecture-level cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region spanning 2011 to 2019 to conduct theoretical and empirical analyses. It explores how the digital economy influences export trade and examines the mediating effect of industrial agglomeration. Key findings include: (1) The digital economy significantly boosts product exports, a conclusion supported by robustness and endogeneity tests. (2) Export trade is more profoundly affected by the digital economy in the central YRD region than in the non-central area. This difference may be attributed to varying infrastructure levels and competition dynamics. (3) The digital economy's impact on export trade is mediated by industrial agglomeration, which plays a significant role. Furthermore, the paper proposes policy suggestions for governments and enterprises to promote the synergistic development of the digital economy and export trade in the Yangtze River Delta region.