Is green product trade a pathway to better air quality in China?

This study evaluates whether green product trade can serve as an effective pathway to improving air quality in China. Using panel data for 28 provinces from 2010 to 2021, we are the first to jointly examine the impacts of green trade on six major air pollutants (PM 2. 5 , PM 10 , CO, SO 2 , NO x , and CO 2 ) while simultaneously identifying both its temporal dynamics and spatial spillover effects within a unified empirical framework. We construct an integrated green-product trade database combining the APEC, OECD, and World Bank classifications and employ System GMM and the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to address spatial-temporal dependence. The results show that a 1% increase in green trade reduces PM 2. 5 and PM 10 concentrations by approximately 1.1%. Moreover, green imports in neighboring provinces generate strong spatial spillovers, lowering local PM 2. 5 , PM 10 , CO, and SO 2 emissions by about 5%. We also find that green imports exert significantly stronger pollution-reduction effects than green exports, suggesting an import-driven technology-upgrade mechanism typical of developing economies. These findings provide robust evidence that green trade contributes to China's environmental improvements and offer important policy insights for emerging economies seeking to leverage green globalization for sustainable, lower-emission development.