RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF ESG PERFORMANCE ON THE EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS OF CHINESE MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES

Against the backdrop of China's active promotion of the "Made in China 2025" initiative and "dual carbon goals," the question of whether the ESG performance of manufacturing enterprises can influence their export competitiveness is significant for enhancing export competitiveness and achieving sustainable export trade. This has important strategic implications for promoting the high-quality, sustainable development of manufacturing enterprises. This study looks at Chinese manufacturing A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2021 as a research sample. It looks at how ESG performance affects the export competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing businesses, focusing on how risk-taking levels play a role in this. Additionally, it examines the moderating effect of the external business environment on the relationship between ESG performance and export competitiveness. The research finds that, from a resource-based perspective, better ESG performance is associated with stronger export competitiveness in manufacturing enterprises. Furthermore, risk-taking levels serve as an important transmission factor in the relationship between ESG performance and export competitiveness, while the external business environment can inhibit the impact of ESG performance on export competitiveness. After a series of robustness tests, the results remain valid. This study provides new insights for export enterprises to enhance their competitiveness and achieve sustainable, high-quality development in export trade.