Based on the new perspective of “industrial expertise effect”, using the data of China’s A-share listed companies from 2008 to 2019, this paper investigates the audit quality differences between “local accounting firms” and “international accounting firms”. The results show that: compared with the non-industry audit experts of “international accounting firms”, the industry audit experts of “local accounting firms” can take advantage of their own industry expertise, exert stronger professional competence and independence, and provide higher quality of audit services, that is the “industrial expertise effect”. Furthermore, after the reform of the special general partnership system of accounting firms in China, this effect has been strengthened, which means the “local accounting firms” industry audit experts can better guarantee the audit quality. The expansion analysis shows that the audit experts of “local accounting firms” can improve the audit quality mainly by improving the audit input. The “industrial expertise effect” is even better when two auditors are from the head office or the same branch. This study is helpful to correct the inertial misunderstanding of capital market participants that “international accounting firms” are necessarily better than “local accounting firms”, and it also provides theoretical reference and policy enlightenment for strengthening local accounting firms construction and “bigger and stronger” development.