Abstract Innovation-driven is an important engine for the high-quality development of export trade, and international patent application is an important reflection of a country’s level of innovation. Based on the patent application data of the 31 provinces of China in the United States Patent Office from 2009 to 2017 and the export trade data of 41 industries in each province, this paper empirically studies the impact of international patent applications on exports. The results show that: (1) Overseas patent applications promote the export of products to the market of the patent application country.With the increase in the number of overseas patents, the scope of protection and technical coverage of overseas patents have expanded, leading to a further increase in exports.(2) After a comprehensive evaluation of the patent value, it is found that the higher the patent value, the greater the export promotion effect. (3) Foreign patents in China and the degree of marketization have a moderating effect on the promotion of international patents. The more industries and regions with higher degree of marketization of foreign patents in China, the greater the export promotion effect of international patent applications.
2022, Vol. 39 
