The Effects of Government Licensing on E-commerce: Evidence from Alibaba Staff working paper 2021-32 Ginger Zhe Jin, Zhentong Lu, Xiaolu Zhou, Chunxiao Li How does government licensing affect selling on online platforms? We examine the impact of China’s 2015 Food Safety Law on sellers and buyers on Alibaba, the largest e-commerce platform in that country. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): D, D8, D82, K, K2, K23, L, L5, L8, L81 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market functioning, Market structure