Objective/Meaning  This paper aimed to explore the impact and mechanism of trade facilitation in RCEP countries on the technical complexity of agricultural exports, in order to provide reference for improving the export competitiveness of agricultural products.

Methods/Procedures  By selecting the agricultural trade data of RCEP countries from 2009 to 2021, the trade facilitation index of RCEP countries and the technical complexity of agricultural exports were calculated, and the static panel fixed effect model was constructed. Then, the impact and mechanism of trade facilitation on the technical complexity of agricultural exports were explored.

Results/Conclusions  The results showed that: the level of trade facilitation and the technical complexity of agricultural exports in RCEP countries showed a fluctuating upward trend. The trade facilitation significantly increased the technical complexity of agricultural exports, mainly by reducing the trade costs and enhancing the R&D and innovation capabilities. The countermeasures were put forward including optimizing the export structure of agricultural products, strengthening the construction of e-commerce and regulatory environment, deeply participating in the global value chain of agricultural products, and vigorously promoting the agricultural science and technology innovation.