Trade dependence network structure of tantalum trade goods and its effect on trade prices: An industry chain perspective

Abstract

Tantalum is a key metal in the electronic information age and a conflict mineral whose trade price is determined by dealers. Given the influence of third parties in the trade relationship, the paper constructs a trade dependence network for five representative tantalum-related trade goods in the tantalum industry chain from 2010 to 2019 and explores the structural characteristics of these networks and their effect on tantalum-related trade goods and prices. The results show that between 2010 and 2019, (1) the trade dependence network of tantalum-containing capacitors was large, and the trade dependence relationship was the most complex, while the trade dependence network of pure tantalum products was small and weak in complexity. (2) the United States occupies the core position in the trade of the whole tantalum chain, while Germany and China occupy the core position at different stages of the chain; after 2015, the position of the Netherlands in the trade of the middle and lower reaches of the tantalum chain was rapidly increasing; Australia was not prominent. (3) The vast majority of trade goods in the tantalum chain and their import prices were influenced by trade dependence relationships; the more trading partners and the stronger the centrality, the more pronounced their price advantages. This paper makes targeted recommendations for the ore and tantalum processing stages.