Cultural Differences and Quality Trust in Sustainable Cross-Border Closed-Loop Photovoltaic Supply Chain Network Design

Green manufacturing of photovoltaic (PV) modules and the rapid evolution of cross-border production models have given rise to prominent environmental issues and severe cultural differences. Therefore, incorporating sustainability and cultural differences into supply chain network design is particularly necessary. First, this study considers the carbon tax price, the consumer quality trust index (QTI) for recycled and remanufactured products, and the cultural differences faced by cross-border manufacturers. A mixed-integer programming model is constructed for the optimal design of a cross-border PV module supply chain network, incorporating three objectives: economic cost, environmental, and social benefit. The model aims to minimize economic cost and carbon emissions while maximizing social benefit. Second, a triangular fuzzy function is introduced to handle uncertain parameters in the model, and a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm is used to solve the model and obtain the optimal solution. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of the carbon tax price and cultural differences is conducted, and the effects of different QTI levels on the supply chain network are discussed. The results indicate that these factors have a significant impact on the designed sustainable supply chain network. This study contributes to the sustainable development of cross-border manufacturing enterprises and enhances their ability to cope with cultural differences. It provides effective support for governments in formulating sustainable development policies, for manufacturers in determining procurement ratios, and for supply chain entities in addressing cultural differences.