Exploring the complex structural evolution of global primary product trade network

doi:10.1016/j.regsus.2022.03.006

Abstract

Abstract:

The production and trade of primary products had a growing impact on the economic security of all countries and regions, and the strategic position of these products in the global trade network was becoming increasingly prominent. Based on complex network theory, this paper explored the spatial pattern and complex structural evolution of the global primary product trade network (GPPTN) during 1985-2015 by using index methods, such as centrality, Sankey diagram, and structure entropy, focusing on the diversified spatial structure of China’s import and export markets for primary products (with exceptions of Taiwan of China, Hong Kong of China, and Macao of China due to a lack of data) and their geographical implications for China’s energy security. The research offered the following key findings. The GPPTN showed an obvious spatial heterogeneity pattern, and the area of import consumption was more concentrated; however, the overall trend was decentralized. The trade center of gravity shifted eastwards and reflected the rise of emerging markets. The overall flow of the GPPTN was from west to east and from south to north. In terms of the community detection of the GPPTN, North America, Europe, and Asia increasingly presented an unbalanced “tripartite confrontation”. China’s exports of primary products were mainly concentrated in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other peripheral regions of Asia, and its imports undergone a major transformation, gradually expanding from the peripheral regions of Asia to Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and other parts of the world. Energy fuels also became the largest imported primary products. Based on the changing trend of structural entropy and main market share, the analysis showed that the stable supply of China’s energy diversification was gradually realized. In particular, the cooperation dividend proposed by the Belt and Road initiative became an important turning point and a strong support for the expansion of China’s energy market diversification pattern and guarantee of energy security.

Key words: Primary products, Global trade networks, Structure entropy, Energy security, Import and export market

JIANG Xiaorong, LIU Qing, WANG Shenglan. Exploring the complex structural evolution of global primary product trade network[J]. Regional Sustainability, 2022, 3(1): 82-94.

Figures/Tables 10

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Table 1

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Fig. 7.

Table S1

Country and region International Organization for Standardization (ISO) code."

ISO	Name	ISO	Name	ISO	Name	ISO	Name
AFG	Afghanistan	ETH	Ethiopia	FSU	Former Soviet Union	SUD	South Sudan
AGO	Angola	FIN	Finland	MAR	Morocco	SUR	Suriname
AIA	Anguilla	FJI	Fiji	MDA	Moldova	SVK	Slovakia
ALB	Albania	FRA	France	MDG	Madagascar	SVN	Slovenia
ZMB	Zambia	ZWE	Zimbabwe	MDV	Maldives	SWE	Sweden
ARG	Argentina	GAB	Gabon	MEX	Mexico	SWZ	Swaziland
ARM	Armenia	GBR	United Kingdom	MKD	Macedonia	SYC	Seychelles
AUS	Australia	GEO	Georgia	MLI	Mali	SYR	Syria
AUT	Austria	GHA	Ghana	MLT	Malta	TCD	Chad
AZE	Azerbaijan	GIB	Gibraltar	MMR	Myanmar	TGO	Togo
BDI	Burundi	GIN	Guinea	MNG	Mongolia	THA	Thailand
BEL	Belgium	GMB	Gambia	MNT	Montenegro	TJK	Tajikistan
BEN	Benin	GRC	Greece	MOZ	Mozambique	TKL	Tokelau
BGD	Bangladesh	GRD	Grenada	MRT	Mauritania	TKM	Turkmenistan
BGR	Bulgaria	GRL	Greenland	MSR	Montserrat	TMP	Timor-Leste
BHS	Bahamas	GTM	Guatemala	MUS	Mauritius	TON	Tonga
BLR	Belarus	GUM	Guam	MWI	Malawi	TTO	Trinidad and Tobago
BLZ	Belize	GUY	Guyana	MYS	Malaysia	TUN	Tunisia
BMU	Bermuda	ARE	United Arab Emirates	NAM	Namibia	TUR	Turkey
BOL	Bolivia	HND	Honduras	NCL	New Caledonia	TUV	Tuvalu
BRA	Brazil	HRV	Croatia	NER	Niger	TZA	Tanzania
BRB	Barbados	HTI	Haiti	NGA	Nigeria	UGA	Uganda
BTN	Bhutan	HUN	Hungary	NIC	Nicaragua	UKR	Ukraine
BWA	Botswana	IDN	Indonesia	NIU	Niue	URY	Uruguay
CAF	Central African	IND	India	NLD	Netherlands	USA	United States
CAN	Canada	IRL	Ireland	NOR	Norway	UZB	Uzbekistan
CHE	Switzerland	IRN	Iran	NPL	Nepal	VEN	Venezuela
CHL	Chile	IRQ	Iraq	NRU	Nauru	VNM	Vietnam
CHN	China	ISL	Iceland	NZL	New Zealand	VUT	Vanuatu
CIV	Cote d'Ivoire	ISR	Israel	OMN	Oman	WSM	Samoa
CMR	Cameroon	ITA	Italy	PAK	Pakistan	YEM	Yemen
COG	Congo	JAM	Jamaica	PAN	Panama	ZAF	South Africa
COL	Colombia	JOR	Jordan	PER	Peru	ZAR	Democratic Republic of the Congo
COM	Comoros	JPN	Japan	PHL	Philippines	ZAR	Democratic Republic of the Congo
CPV	Cape Verde	KAZ	Kazakhstan	PLW	Palau
CRI	Costa Rica	KEN	Kenya	POL	Poland
CUB	Cuba	KGZ	Kyrgyzstan	PRK	North Korea
CYP	Cyprus	KHM	Cambodia	PRT	Portugal
CZE	Czech	KIR	Kiribati	PRY	Paraguay
DEU	Germany	KOR	South Korea	QAT	Qatar
DJI	Djibouti	KWT	Kuwait	ROM	Romania
DMA	Dominica	LAO	Laos	RUS	Russia
DNK	Denmark	LBN	Lebanon	RWA	Rwanda
DOM	Dominican	LBR	Liberia	SAU	Saudi Arabia
ECU	Ecuador	LBY	Libya	SEN	Senegal
EGY	Egypt	LKA	Sri Lanka	SER	Serbia
ERI	Eritrea	LSO	Lesotho	SGP	Singapore
ESH	Western Sahara	LTU	Lithuania	SLV	El Salvador
ESP	Spain	LUX	Luxembourg	SMR	San Marino
EST	Estonia	LVA	Latvia	SOM	Somalia

Table S1

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