Journal of Forest Economics > Vol 40 > Issue 4

The Impact of Agglomeration in China's Timber Industry on the Quality of Forest Products

Minxin Shang, College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang A&F University, China, Shiyao Gao, College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang A&F University, China, Beibei Cao, Administrative Office of Fenghuangshan Area of Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Area, China, Rundong Liao, School of Digital Commerce and Trade, Zhejiang Polytechnic University of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, China, liaorundong1128@163.com , Lichun Xiong, College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang A&F University, China AND Zhejiang A&F University and Institute of Ecological Civilization, Zhejiang A&F University, China, lichunxiong@zafu.edu.cn
 
Suggested Citation
Minxin Shang, Shiyao Gao, Beibei Cao, Rundong Liao and Lichun Xiong (2025), "The Impact of Agglomeration in China's Timber Industry on the Quality of Forest Products", Journal of Forest Economics: Vol. 40: No. 4, pp 327-353. http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/112.00000596

Publication Date: 05 Nov 2025
© 2025 L. Xiong et al.
 
Subjects
Complexity,  Econometric models,  Panel data,  Industrial organization,  Forestry,  Public policy,  Information systems and industries,  Organizational behavior,  Market share analysis,  Product development
 
Keywords
Timber industry, Industrial agglomeration, Forest products, Product quality, Technological complexity.
 

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In this article:
1 Introduction 
2 Theoretical Analysis Framework 
3 Research Methodology 
4 Data Sources and Descriptive Statistics 
5 Measurement Results and Empirical Analysis 
6 Research Conclusions and Countermeasures and Suggestions 
References 

Abstract

This study analyzes regional disparities in the impact of timber industry agglomeration on forest product quality in China using 2012–2021 panel data. By employing the location entropy index to measure agglomeration and technological complexity to assess product quality, this study reveals a positive correlation between agglomeration and quality. Regional impacts vary: the east shows no significant effect, the central region a positive correlation, and the west a negative effect. Robustness is confirmed through temporal adjustments and instrumental variables. The study suggests strategies to improve forest product quality, emphasizing the need to enhance technical production and management capabilities in the timber industry, which positively affects wood product quality and competitiveness.

DOI:10.1561/112.00000596