The Effect Of Intermediate Goods Imports On Innovation Of Chinese Industrial Enterprises

Enterprise innovation is the fundamental source of sustained economic growth,and the determinant of innovation has been of the one of the hot topics in economic research field.Previous researches mainly discuss about enterprise size,market power,institutional environment and so on,seldom pay attention to enterprise import under the condition of open economy.With the rapid development of intermediate products trade,scholars begin to pay attention to the impact of the import of intermediate goods on enterprise innovation.Most of the existing literatures begin their research from the perspective of import tariff or quantity,failed to effectively identify the mechanism of intermediate goods imports affecting enterprise innovation.Based on the trade theory of heterogeneous enterprise,this paper analyzes the mechanism and effect of intermediate goods imports on enterprise innovation.Using micro data of Chinese industrial enterprises,this paper studies the four dimensions of the impact of intermediate goods imports,the scale,quality,diversity of imported intermediate goods as well as the competition caused by import,and examine whether the impact will vary with the different characteristics of the enterprises,so as to put forward some feasible adjustment for innovation strategy and trade policy.The research finds that:(1)Enterprises that import intermediate goods are more likely to engage in innovative activities compared to non-import enterprises.(2)The improvement of diversity of imported intermediate goods will help enterprises achieve innovation,and the positive effect will be stronger when enterprises have higher R&D intensity and higher human capital level.(3)The expansion of the scale of intermediate goods imports generally failed to have a significant role in promoting enterprise innovation,and the synergistic effect with R&D investment and human capital also produce no significant promoting effect on enterprise innovation.(4)The higher the quality of imported intermediate goods,the more likely enterprises are to absorb spillover from them so as to promote enterprise innovation,and the synergistic effect with R&D investment and human capital also produce significant promoting effect on innovation.(5)The intensification of competition caused by intermediate goods imports is conducive to promoting the innovation of enterprises in the industry.Increased competition will force enterprises to increase their R&D investment and enhance the level of human capital,thus promoting enterprise innovation.(6)On the whole,the promoting effects of intermediate goods imports on innovation is stronger for general trade enterprises than processing trade enterprises,for export enterprises than non-export enterprises,for state-owned,collective and private enterprises than foreign enterprises.Finally,according to the research conclusions,this paper puts forward some corresponding policy recommendations for the promotion of enterprise innovation,which include reducing import cost,guiding import direction,promoting the transition of processing trade enterprises,improving absorptive capacity and encouraging domestic enterprises to go abroad.