Study on the factors influencing the evolution mechanism of cobalt trade network from the perspective of national competition

Abstract

In order to enhance national competitiveness while ensuring the rational operation of world trade activities, the highly internationalized development of cobalt trade is promoted. This paper analyzes the current situation of world cobalt trade through the collection and collation of trade network data. That is, each node on the network represents an activity subject, and the relationship between nodes and nodes exists in terms of commodity demand and supply, reflecting the network Spatio-temporal divergence characteristics of global commodity trade. By measuring the topological network indicators such as density, point degree, intermediary centrality, and proximity to the center, the influence of a country in the trade network and whether it occupies the central position can be more clearly defined, effectively capturing the strength of the relationship between the nodes in the world trade network and facilitating the understanding of the evolution mechanism of the world trade network, and using the QAP regression model to calculate the relationship and trade volume between two countries that affect the trade connection. The results of the study show that China’s cobalt production in 2021 is 2,105 tons, down 8.5% year-on-year. With the passage of time, the overall scale of the international trade network of bauxite is growing, the number of countries involved in the trade is increasing, the trade volume is growing, and the trade relationship between countries is gradually increasing, which reflects the good development trend of global bauxite trade.