Green Compliance Mechanisms and International Coordination in Cross-Border Digital Trade of the Apparel Industry

Abstract

Under the dual pressures of global climate governance and the rapid expansion of cross-border digital trade, the apparel industry is facing a profound transformation in its regulatory environment. The European Union’s Green Deal, through instruments such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the Digital Product Passport (DPP), and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), is reshaping the rules of market access and value distribution in cross-border e-commerce. Focusing on the apparel industry, this paper constructs a four-dimensional analytical framework—institutional pressure, platform governance, technology empowerment, and standard competition—to examine how green compliance requirements penetrate fragmented digital supply chains. By combining normative policy analysis with case studies of platforms, logistics providers, and fast-fashion brands, the study reveals that methodological divergence in carbon accounting and data asymmetries has evolved into hidden green trade barriers. The paper further proposes strategic coordination mechanisms at governmental, platform, and enterprise levels to facilitate international alignment and sustainable transformation of cross-border digital apparel trade.