► We test the premise that export performance is contingent on firm- and location-specific institutional idiosyncrasies. ► We demonstrate that foreign ownership, business group affiliation, and the degree of regional marketization positively moderate the innovation–export relationship. ► Government relationships have a stronger positive moderating effect in regions with a high level of marketization only. We challenge the assumption that innovative capabilities are always beneficial for exporting by developing and testing the premise that export performance is contingent on firm- and location-specific institutional idiosyncrasies. Testing our framework against a large dataset for China, we demonstrate that foreign ownership, business group affiliation, and the degree of marketization of the region where the firm operates positively moderate the effects of innovative capabilities on export performance. Government relationships have a stronger positive moderating effect on the innovation–export relationship in regions with a high level of marketization only. Our findings suggest that the relationship between innovative capabilities and export performance is not uniform but rather contingent upon the institutional setting in which the firm is embedded. These results have important implications for how policymakers promote exporting and open up new theoretical avenues for conceptualizing the internationalization implications of innovation.