Study On The Impact Of The Establishment Of China’s Pilot Free Trade Zone On Port Efficiency

This article aims to explore the impact of the establishment of Free Trade Zones(FTZs)on port efficiency.Free trade zone policy is an important measure to promote economic development in China.By means of institutional innovation,free trade zone policy facilitates the liberalization of trade and investment,aids in technological innovation and industrial upgrading,and injects vitality into the domestic economic development.Seaports serve as important hubs in logistics transportation systems and are crucial nodes in global trade,playing a key role in facilitating the flow of trade.However,in recent years,the rapid growth of cargo and container throughput has placed increasing pressure on seaports and posed significant challenges to port efficiency.Therefore,the establishment of FTZs presents a valuable opportunity for seaports.By assessing port efficiency in FTZs,suggestions for the future development of seaports can be provided.In this context,this paper evaluates the efficiency of 14 FTZ ports using the DEA-Malmquist model with data from 2001 to 2020,explores the spatial characteristics and trends of FTZ port development,and provides recommendations and countermeasures for the future development of FTZ ports.The empirical results show that(1)the efficiency level of FTZ ports in China is relatively low,and their development faces significant pressure.(2)The establishment of FTZ has significantly improved port efficiency,and the impact of FTZs on port efficiency in the southern and northern regions of China is different,with a more significant effect on the southern region.Moreover,the impact of the establishment of FTZs on port efficiency varies with the level of city size,with a more pronounced growth effect on larger cities.(3)The mechanism test results in this paper show that the establishment of FTZs can increase port efficiency by promoting the inflow of foreign investment and trade growth.This research has important theoretical and practical implications for promoting the construction of seaports and leveraging their positive role in foreign trade.