区域贸易协定数字贸易规则对服务贸易出口的影响--来自APEC成员的证据

The Impact of RTA Digital Trade Rules on Services Trade Exports:Evidence from APEC Members

随着互联网全球化及数据跨境流动的迅猛发展,服务贸易数字化现象已经成为不争的事实。WTO框架下建立统一数字条款的努力遭遇挫折,区域贸易协定(RTA)中的数字条款不断繁衍成为国际数字条款的风向标。在上述背景下,从服务贸易视角探讨RTA中数字条款带来的影响,考察其影响机制和作用途径具有重要现实意义。基于TAPED数据库与UNCTAD数据库,选取2005—2015年APEC成员间实施的54个RTA为样本,在测算协定中数字条款的广度和深度的基础上,实证考察其对双边服务贸易的影响及作用机制。研究结果表明,RTA数字条款显著促进了缔约方的服务贸易,且其结果稳健。异质性分析发现,RTA数字条款对发达经济体和发展中经济体之间的知识密集型服务贸易的促进作用更强;区分多成员RTA与双边RTA发现,前者的数字条款对服务贸易的影响程度比后者更为突出。通过准入效应和成本效应两个中介机制,本文揭示国内制度环境与ICT设施水平是数字条款影响服务贸易的两个重要渠道。

With the rapid development of Internet globalization and cross-border data flow,the digitalization of trade in services has become an indisputable fact.The efforts to establish uniform digital provisions under the framework of WTO have met with setbacks,and the digital provisions in RTA have been multiplying and becoming the vindicator of international digital provisions.Under the above background,it is of great practical significance to discuss the influence of digital provisions in RTA from the perspective of trade in services,and to investigate its influence mechanism and action path.Based on the TAPED database and UNCTAD database,54 RTAsimplemented among APEC members from 2005 to 2015 were selected as samples.Based on the measurement of the breadth and depth of the digital provisions in the agreements,the impact and mechanism of these RTAs on bilateral trade in services were empirical investigated.The results show that the RTA digital provision significantly promotes the trade in services of the Parties,and the results are robust.Heterogeneity analysis shows that:the RTA digital provision has a stronger promoting effect on the trade in knowledge-intensive services between developed and developing economies;The difference between multi-member RTA and bilateral RTA shows that the influence of digital terms on service trade is more prominent in the former than in the latter.Through two mediating mechanisms of access effect and cost effect,this paper reveals that domestic institutional environment and ICT facility level are two important channels through which digital terms influence service trade.