The recent wave of scientific and technological advancements, has resulted in the emergence of sophisticated digital products and premium digital service components. Furthermore, the enhancement of the quality of export products serves as a significant indicator of the high-quality development of China’s foreign trade. Utilizing data from A-share listed companies and corresponding data from the customs database spanning the years 2005 to 2015, the implications of the liberalization of digital service trade was examined. The findings suggest that the digital service trade substantially contributes to the improvement of export product quality among manufacturing firms. Furthermore, the influence of digital service trade liberalization on the quality of export products varies across different dimensions. The impact of export product quality enhancement is more pronounced in foreign-funded enterprises, capital-intensive industries, and particularly in the central and western regions of the country. Furthermore, larger enterprises located in these regions exhibit a more significant effect on product quality improvement. The mechanisms through which the openness of digital services trade influences the export product quality of manufacturing firms include enterprise productivity and the servicization of manufacturing processes.