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Rail-Sea Intermodal Services (RSIS) is an important logistics organizational model that can unleash the economic effects of the International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC). This paper constructs a theoretical framework based on the Eaton-Kortum (EK) international trade model and employs the Gradual Difference-in-Differences methodology along with panel data from Chinese townships to examine the economic benefits (EBs) of the opening of RSIS. The study found that: (1) Regional Economic Benefits: RSIS generated significant positive regional EBs, which showed both persistence and lag over time. (2) Mechanism Analysis: RSIS promoted the agglomeration of regional labor at the micro level and reduced trade costs through ‘spatio-temporal compression’ effect at the macro level, thereby driving regional output and economic growth. (3) Spatial Effects: The EBs of RSIS exhibited spatial effects of spillover, agglomeration, and attenuation. Under different geographical conditions, locations of the ILSTC, and scales of RSIS stations, these benefits demonstrated heterogeneity. Additionally, RSIS played a key role in building trade connections and alleviating trade conflicts. This paper holds significant value for unleashing the economic potential of RSIS, ensuring the stability and security of China’s industrial chain and supply chain.
Ou et al. (Tue,) studied this question.