Digital transformation, ESG responsibility and corporate's export performance

•Digital transformation is positively correlated with corporate's export performance.•Digital transformation significantly promotes corporate's export performance through the channels of ESG responsibility.•The individual effects of environmental, social and governance practices are inconsistent, and it is more pronounced in environmental and social aspects. This study examines the effect of digital transformation on firms’ export performance between 2013 and 2021 by using information from the China Stock Market & Accounting Research Database. We find that digital transformation is positively correlated with firms’ export performance. Moreover, firms’ Environmental, Social, and Governance responsibility plays an important role in this process; specifically, environmental and social responsibility practices can significantly enhance firms’ export performance, whereas the influence of firms’ governance remains relatively minor. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the impact of digital transformation on Chinese listed firms’ export decisions and provide valuable insights for policymakers.