Research On The Impact Of Foreign Trade On Carbon Emissions

After China’s accession to the WTO,China has increasingly frequent trade with other countries,and has become the world’s largest trading country.The foreign trade of major cities in the Huanghe River basin accounts for one third of China’s total trade scale,making great contributions to the development of China’s economy.For a long time,the proportion of industries with high pollution and high energy consumption in the Huanghe River Basin is relatively large,and the foreign trade is in the low part of the international trade industry chain.If the foreign trade structure of the cities in the Huanghe River basin is still developed according to the existing way,it is bound to face the double pressure of resources and environment.Therefore,clarifying the impact of foreign trade of major cities in the Huanghe River Basin on carbon emissions can provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for energy conservation,emission reduction and sustainable development of major cities in the Huanghe River Basin.This thesis combines the theory of environmental effects of foreign trade and environmental regulation effects,based on data from major cities in the Huanghe River Basin from 2000 to2021,and uses a fixed effects model to study the impact of foreign trade on carbon emissions in major cities in the Huanghe River Basin.The mechanism of the impact of foreign trade on carbon emissions in major cities in the Huanghe River Basin is tested using technology upgrading effects,environmental governance effects,industrial structure effects,and economic scale effects as mediating variables,and heterogeneity testing was conducted on the division of major cities by city type,and the following conclusions were obtained: First,the foreign trade and carbon emissions of most major cities in the Huanghe River Basin have been on the rise in the past two decades,while a small number of cities have seen a certain degree of decline in carbon emissions.Second,the impact of foreign trade on carbon emissions will vary according to the current situation of different cities.In particular,the impact of export trade is quite different,while the impact of import trade on carbon emissions of all cities is basically negative.There are also differences in the impact of foreign trade on the carbon emissions of major cities in the Huanghe River Basin in terms of technological effects,environmental governance effects,industrial structure effects,and scale effects.Third,the regression results of the full sample data show that export trade of major cities in the Huanghe River Basin has a positive impact on carbon emissions,that is,developing export trade will promote carbon dioxide emissions.However,the import trade has a negative effect on carbon emissions,which can inhibit carbon dioxide emissions.Fourthly,the heterogeneity analysis based on city type shows that the export trade of growing cities,declining cities and regenerative cities has a positive impact on carbon emissions,that is,developing export trade has a promoting effect on carbon emissions.However,the export trade of mature cities has a negative impact on carbon emissions,that is,the growth of export trade in mature cities can reduce carbon dioxide emissions.From the perspective of import,export trade of growing cities,mature cities,declining cities and regenerative cities has a negative impact on carbon emissions,that is,the expansion of import trade in all cities has a role in reducing carbon emissions.In terms of specific values,the regression coefficient of mature cities is the largest,followed by growth cities and declining cities,and the last is regeneration cities.In view of the empirical results,this thesis proposes specific suggestions from the implementation of environmental protection measures,optimization of trade and industrial structure,and acceleration of the development and application of low-carbon and high-tech technologies.