Navigating Green Trade Barriers: Strategic Decisions in Cross-Border E-Commerce Green Packaging and Self-Logistics

As environmental concerns become increasingly central to global trade, the adoption of green packaging has emerged as a critical issue for cross-border e-commerce platforms and manufacturers. This paper investigates the strategic decisions of overseas manufacturers and domestic cross-border e-commerce platforms regarding logistics and green packaging, considering the impact of commission rates, consumer preferences, and logistics costs. Employing a game-theoretic model, our study constructs a formal analytical framework to examine four distinct logistics and green packaging combination strategies, and optimal decisions for platforms and manufacturers were derived through equilibrium analysis. Our findings reveal that the platform’s commission rate is the main incentive for the manufacturer’s green production initiatives, while the platform’s logistics costs drive their green efforts. A “Decision-making Win–Win Effect” is identified, where both platform and manufacturer benefit from strategic shifts, particularly when the platform manages its logistics costs and reduces commission rates. Additionally, the extensions of the model demonstrates that the wholesale contract weakens the win–win outcome, while the third-party green logistics strengthens it. This study provides valuable insights for both academics and practitioners on how to optimize green packaging strategies and logistics decisions in the evolving landscape of global e-commerce.