This study examines the impact of the mining right transfer system (MRTS) reform on enterprises’ intensive utilization of mineral resources. It aims to assess whether market-oriented institutional changes can improve resource allocation efficiency and promote sustainable resource use.
Leveraging the MRTS reform as a quasi-natural experiment, this research uses a difference-in-differences (DID) model to evaluate the policy’s effects on enterprise behavior. The analysis centers on two primary aspects of intensive utilization: input intensity and output efficiency.
The results indicate that MRTS significantly promotes the intensive utilization of mineral resources in pilot regions. Mechanism analysis reveals that this effect is driven by improved resource allocation, increased market competition and enhanced market services. Further heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive impacts are especially evident in regions with abundant mineral resources and a higher degree of competitive mining rights transfers.
This study underscores the pivotal role of market-oriented reforms in resource governance. It provides empirical evidence for the effectiveness of property rights reform in advancing intensive resource utilization and offers policy implications for optimizing the institutional framework of mineral resource management.
