<p>This study examines the impact of digital trade on agricultural international competitiveness in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, with a particular focus on the mediating role of innovation and its potential implications for climate mitigation. Using panel data from 42 BRI countries over the period 2010–2022, we employ the entropy weight method to construct a country-level composite index of digital trade, and adopt a multidimensional agricultural competitiveness framework comprising the Trade Competitiveness Index (TCI), Global Market Share Index (GMS), and Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage Index (RSCA). We estimate two-way fixed effects and mediation effect models. The findings show that digital trade significantly enhances agricultural international competitiveness. Mechanism analysis indicates that innovation serves as a key mediating channel through which digital trade promotes competitiveness. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the positive effects of digital trade are more pronounced in countries with higher levels of economic development and digital infrastructure. In addition, this study discusses the potential climate mitigation implications of digital trade from the perspectives of efficiency improvement, resource optimization, and green technology diffusion. This study contributes to the literature by integrating innovation mechanisms into the analysis of digital trade and agricultural competitiveness, and by extending the discussion to include climate mitigation considerations. The findings provide policy insights for promoting digital trade development and achieving sustainable agricultural growth in BRI countries.</p>