Research on World Agricultural Economy

The Impact of RCEP Partner Countries' Digital Trade Levels on China's Agricultural Exports

LETIAN Zeng

Faculty of Management, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru 81310, Malaysia

Asan Ali Golam Hassan

Azman Hashim International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v6i3.1934

Received: 1 April 2025 | Revised: 6 May 2025 | Accepted: 20 May 2025 | Published Online: 5 August 2025

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Abstract

With the development of digital technology, digital economy is gradually becoming a new engine of economic growth, especially in trade, the core area of resource allocation, the impact of digital transformation is particularly significant. In recent years, the scale of China's agricultural export trade has continued to rise, fully demonstrating its potential and vitality. Based on the panel data of agricultural trade volume between China and RCEP partner countries from 2005 to 2022, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of digital trade development level on China's agricultural exports by using stochastic frontier gravity model. The study found that RCEP partner countries' comprehensive infrastructure construction, digital security, international competitiveness of core digital industries, and digital innovation capabilities contribute to the growth of China's agricultural exports. The growth of GDP between China and RCEP partner countries, the signing of free trade agreements, and the improvement of trade openness can promote China's agricultural exports to RCEP partner countries. The greater the geographical distance between China and RCEP member states, the higher tariffs imposed by RCEP member states on agricultural products will increase the cost of China's agricultural exports, and the more unfavorable it will be to China's agricultural exports to RCEP member states.

Keywords: RCEP Partner Countries; Digital Trade; Agricultural Exports; Trade Efficiency; Free Trade Agreements

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