https://ojs.bbwpublisher.com/index.php/PBES <p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Proceedings of Business and Economic Studies (PBES)</em> is an international, peer-reviewed and open access journal which focuses on theoretical and applied studies of corporate and financial behavior. Aiming to promote the research in fields of business economics and management and&nbsp;help economists keep abreast of the vast flow of literature.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">It covers mainly but not limits to the following areas: ranging from the core themes of the entrepreneurial process and new venture creation to other topics, accounting and financial management, economics, human resource management and organizational behavior, information management, international business, strategy and innovation, management science and operations management, marketing and retailing.</p> <p align="justify">&nbsp;</p> Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing PTY LTD en-US Proceedings of Business and Economic Studies 2209-2641 https://ojs.bbwpublisher.com/index.php/PBES/article/view/14304 <p>As global trade governance increasingly incorporates environmental standards, mechanisms such as the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) create growing compliance pressures and cost burdens for China’s manufacturing sector. This study examines the transmission mechanisms through which green trade barriers (GTBs) affect firm-level innovation and competitiveness. The analysis identifies several structural constraints that may limit the effectiveness of innovation-based adaptation: an energy system constraint associated with the high carbon intensity of the national power grid; a resource-allocation dilemma in which short-term compliance costs may reduce long-term R&amp;D investment; disparities in carbon accounting and digital capabilities; and a strategic tendency toward product-level compliance rather than deeper process-oriented decarbonization. In response to these constraints, this study proposes an implementation framework structured around an Actor–Tool–Timeline matrix. Policy recommendations include promoting green power trading through reforms in energy-use allocation, expanding transition finance to ease adjustment pressures on SMEs, and developing public digital platforms for carbon verification. Furthermore, the study argues that sustained long-term competitiveness depends on stronger indigenous innovation capacity and greater participation in international rule-making, while drawing on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) to respond to emerging forms of environmentally driven trade restriction.</p> Xitao Deng Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s) 2026-03-25 2026-03-25 9 3 1 10 10.26689/pbes.v9i3.14304