Assessing export resilience and its dimensional subdivision in China's labor-intensive manufacturing industry

In an era marked by heightened global uncertainty, export resilience in the labor-intensive manufacturing industry has become critical not only for cushioning external shocks but also for sustaining stability in international trade and employment. This study establishes an analytical framework to assess export resilience by examining the spatiotemporal dynamics of China’s labor-intensive manufacturing during two prominent crises: the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the COVID-19 pandemic. Export resilience is then systematically analyzed across three distinct dimensions: resistance, recovery, and renewal. The empirical findings reveal that China's labor-intensive manufacturing industries exhibited fluctuating resilience trajectories without transitioning into a new stable growth path during both crises. Industries characterized by higher levels of environmental pollution consistently displayed weaker export resilience. Moreover, the spatial interdependencies of export resilience within these industries declined during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the GFC. Notably, during the GFC, labor-intensive manufacturing exhibited relatively weaker resistance and renewal capacities but stronger recovery abilities compared to the overall manufacturing sector. Furthermore, industries characterized by higher labor intensity generally demonstrated lower levels of export resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. These insights significantly advance our understanding of how export industries adapt to diverse economic disruptions, thereby informing more targeted and effective policy interventions.