Abstract: The advancement of digital transformation has established it as a crucial pathway for the green quality upgrade of export products. This study utilizes panel data from China's prefecture-level cities spanning 2011-2023 to measure the degree of urban digital transformation and the level of green export product quality. Employing a two-way fixed effects model and the spatial Durbin model, it examines the impact of digital transformation on green export product quality and its underlying mechanisms. The findings reveal that digital transformation significantly promotes the upgrade of green export product quality, a conclusion that holds up after a series of robustness tests. Mechanism analysis indicates that digital transformation drives the upgrade of green export product quality by facilitating industrial structure upgrading and green technological innovation. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that digital transformation exerts a more pronounced effect in cities with stronger green development foundations and central cities. Further findings indicate that the improvement effect of digital transformation on green export product quality exhibits spatial spillover effects. Consequently, leveraging digital transformation as a catalyst to accelerate industrial upgrading and green technological innovation while addressing regional disparities is essential to achieve a comprehensive leap in the green export product quality.

Key words: digital economy, green export product quality, industrial structure upgrading, green technology innovation, spatial spillover effect