Analysis of the Evolution of Foreign Trade Patterns and Influencing Factors in Henan Province from 2002 to 2021

Abstract

Foreign trade is an important part of the national economy. Promoting the development of foreign trade can regulate the optimal allocation of resources, raise the level of domestic productivity, and accelerate economic development. As a traditional inland agricultural province, Henan Province has inherent disadvantages in developing foreign trade due to its geographical location. However, it has characteristic advantages in terms of population and transportation, so it is necessary to study the pattern of foreign trade and the factors affecting it in this region. In this research study, statistical data were assessed with methods such as the foreign trade dependence, geographical detector, and gravity models to analyze the trade scale, pattern, spatio-temporal variation characteristics, and foreign trade mechanisms in Henan Province. The results show that the trade pattern of Henan Province from 2002 to 2021 has evident spatial and temporal heterogeneity, with a relatively homogeneous overall commodity structure, weak competitive advantages, and a high degree of dependence on US trade. Innovation and transportation are essential internal factors, while the external factors are positively affected by the GDP of both Henan Province and the trading countries, FTAs, trade openness, and the population in the long run and are negatively impacted by distance. This study provides suggestions and decision support for formulating foreign trade policies for Henan Province. It also provides a research basis for related corresponding studies of other regions with similar characteristics.

Impact of folate biofortified food supplement on rural women's health and willingness‐to‐pay: A study based on a connected randomized controlled trial—Becker–DeGroot–Marschak experiment in China

“…The overall folate deficiency among Chinese women of childbearing age was 1%–20% (Dang et al, 2014; Hao et al, 2003). At the provincial level, the folate deficiency rate in the Henan province in our sample province is high, with its neonatal neural tube malformation rate reaching 19.8% (Wang et al, 2004; Xia et al, 2015). Previous surveys have shown that only 37.9% of women of childbearing age regularly take folate supplements (Song et al, 2019), and among those who do, many take less than the recommended daily folate dose (Guo et al, 2017).…”

“…The selection of sample villages for this study was threefold. First, Henan Province has one of the highest rates of folic acid deficiency in China, with an NTD rate of 19.8% (Wang et al, 2004). Only 30% of women of childbearing age in Henan Province have ever taken folic acid supplements, and most of them even do not meet the recommended daily standard (Guo et al, 2017).…”