Decomposition of carbon emission chains in global value chains and its implications for bilateral trade between China and the United States

Abstract

Currently, global trade is undergoing restructuring, and tracking carbon emissions in the global value chain will help build a low-carbon and sustainable global trading system. We construct an integrated accounting framework for value chain and carbon emission chain decomposition, and conduct multi-scale comprehensive quantitative assessments of the value chains and carbon emission chains worldwide. The study found that: Most developing countries are experiencing a dual ascent trend towards high-value-added and low-emission segments in the global value chain, while developed countries show the opposite trend; The ability of developing countries to obtain added value has significantly improved; In bilateral trade between China and the United States, China shows a dual ascent trend in both value chain and carbon emission chain, and the gap between China and the United States is gradually narrowing. The results can help propose systematic value chain restructuring schemes for alleviating trade disputes between countries.