如何缓解跨境交易中的信息不对称?——来自跨境电商质量认证的经验证据  

How to Mitigate Information Asymmetry in Cross-border E-commerce Transactions?Evidence from Cross-border E-commerce Quality Certification

作　　者：马述忠[1] 贺歌 郭继文 MA Shuzhong;HE Ge;GUO Jiwen(China Academy of Digital Trade,Zhejiang University;School of Economics&Trade,Hunan University)

机构地区：[1]浙江大学中国数字贸易研究院 [2]湖南大学经济与贸易学院

出　　处：《数量经济技术经济研究》2024年第6期88-110,共23页Journal of Quantitative & Technological Economics

基　　金：国家社科基金重大项目(23&ZD084);国家自然科学基金面上项目(72373130)的资助。

摘　　要：“柠檬市场”困境是跨境电商发挥稳外贸作用的重要阻碍,质量认证作为一种有效的声誉机制,有望通过传递质量信号来缓解信息不对称。本文利用全球最大的移动跨境电商平台——Wish的产品认证政策和详细的产品-周度层面数据,通过时间断点设计研究了产品层面的认证机制对跨境电商市场交易的影响。研究发现,跨境电商平台上的质量认证具有显著的声誉效应,产品被认证后,销量平均增加了10.5%,价格平均提高了3.0%。机制分析显示,上述声誉效应主要是由于认证所带来的质量信号削弱了产品的质量不确定性,从而提升了厂商的定价自信和消费者的购买意愿。拓展分析发现,首先,认证效应不具有完全的对称性,失去认证会使得产品价格下降,但并不会显著影响产品销量;其次,认证可能会提高消费者的质量预期,使得评分下降约0.7个百分点;最后,认证不会对同企业的其他产品产生溢出效应,但会使得同行业非认证产品的销量下降,从而提高了高质量产品的市场集中度。本文启示政府应引导跨境电商平台设立公平合理的质量认证标准,合理使用认证机制以突破“柠檬市场”困境,助力数字贸易高质量发展。Cross-border e-commerce,as a new format that organically integrates international trade and digital technology,is increasingly becoming a significant driving force for China's foreign trade transformation in the era of the digital economy.However,realizing the stabilizing role of cross-border ecommerce in foreign trade faces multiple challenges,with the dilemma of a“lemon market,”in which information asymmetry is one of the prominent causes.To address this issue,reputation mechanisms,which primarily include rating and certification,have been designed by cross-border e-commerce platforms.Among these,the rating mechanism is susceptible to exploitation by dishonest enterprises,which may negatively impact consumer welfare.In contrast,certification mechanisms,leveraged by third parties to comprehensively evaluate the quality of enterprises or products,have greater systemic and authoritative qualities.Therefore,can certification help both buyers and sellers overcome the“lemon market”dilemma in cross-border e-commerce market transactions?To answer this question,this study develops a dynamic reputation model on quality certification with limited information.Then,it examines the effect of a product-level certification mechanism on crossborder e-commerce by implementing a regression discontinuity design(RDD)based on the product certification policy of Wish—a global leader in mobile cross-border e-commerce.Detailed weekly product data are used to facilitate this study.It reveals that quality certification on the cross-border ecommerce platform has a notable impact on market transactions.Certified products experience a 10.5%increase in sales and an average of 3.0%increase in prices.The mechanism analysis reveals that the reputation effect primarily stems from the quality signal introduced by certification,which mitigates quality uncertainty.This boosts manufacturers'confidence in pricing and augments consumers'intent to make purchases.The expansion analysis reveals several key findings.First,the effect of certifica

关 键 词：跨境电商 信息不对称 质量认证 声誉效应 产品质量不确定性 

分 类 号：F740[经济管理—国际贸易]