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The evolution of world trade from 1995 to 2014: A network approach

Author

Listed:
  • Freddy Cepeda-López
  • Fredy Gamboa-Estrada
  • Carlos León
  • Hernán Rincón-Castro

Abstract

This paper employs network analysis to study world trade from 1995 to 2014. We focus on the main connective features of the world trade network (WTN) and their dynamics. Results suggest that countries’ efforts to attain the benefits of trade have resulted in an intertwined network that is increasingly dense, reciprocal, and clustered. However, these features do not correspond to a linear aggregation of the characteristics of its constituents (trade sectors). Trade linkages are distributed homogeneously among countries, but their intensity (i.e. their value) is highly concentrated in a small set of countries. The main connective features of the WTN were not affected by the 2007–2008 international financial crisis. However, we find that the crisis marks a turning point in the evolution of the WTN from a two-group (led by the US and Germany) to a three-group (led by the US, Germany, and China) hierarchical structure.

Suggested Citation

  • Freddy Cepeda-López & Fredy Gamboa-Estrada & Carlos León & Hernán Rincón-Castro, 2019. "The evolution of world trade from 1995 to 2014: A network approach," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(4), pages 452-485, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jitecd:v:28:y:2019:i:4:p:452-485
    DOI: 10.1080/09638199.2018.1549588
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    Cited by:

    1. Leticia Blázquez & Carmen Díaz‐Mora & Belén González‐Díaz, 2023. "Understanding digital services in GVCs: An extended gravity model through the lens of network analysis," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(9), pages 2598-2623, September.
    2. Lijuan Yang, 2023. "Recommendations for metaverse governance based on technical standards," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Wu, Gang & Liu, Xiaomin & Pu, Yue & Feng, Lianyue, 2025. "Global iron ore trade network resilience assessment and shock response patterns of critical economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Luca Salvatici & Silvia Nenci, 2017. "New features, forgotten costs and counterfactual gains of the international trading system," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 44(4), pages 592-633.
    5. Paolo Bartesaghi & Gian Paolo Clemente & Rosanna Grassi, 2020. "Community structure in the World Trade Network based on communicability distances," Papers 2001.06356, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2020.
    6. Gutiérrez-Moya, Ester & Lozano, Sebastián & Adenso-Díaz, Belarmino, 2023. "A pre-pandemic analysis of the global fertiliser trade network," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    7. Zhuoming, Ren & Wan, Wang & Yu, Lin & Li, Zhao, 2024. "Modeling complex network perturbations on resilience of the bilateral regional trade agreements," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 655(C).
    8. L. Blázquez & C. Díaz-Mora & B. González-Díaz, 2023. "Slowbalisation or a “New” type of GVC participation? The role of digital services," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 50(1), pages 121-147, March.
    9. Andrés Murcia & Hernando Vargas & Carlos León, 2018. "International trade networks and the integration of Colombia into global trade," BIS Papers chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Globalisation and deglobalisation, volume 100, pages 105-123, Bank for International Settlements.
    10. Carlos León & Javier Miguélez, 2020. "Interbank relationship lending in Colombia," Borradores de Economia 1118, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    11. Liu, Yuxin & Li, Yunting & Pu, Yue, 2024. "Exploring the endogenous structure and evolutionary mechanism of the global coal trade network," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    12. Blázquez, Leticia & Díaz-Mora, Carmen & González-Díaz, Belén, 2023. "Hubs of embodied business services in a GVC world," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 28-43.
    13. Giudici, Paolo & Huang, Bihong & Spelta, Alessandro, 2019. "Trade networks and economic fluctuations in Asian countries," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 1-1.
    14. Srividhya Mummidi & C. T. Vidya, 2024. "The changing topology of global textile exports: A network perspective," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 44(3), pages 997-1009.
    15. Paolo Bartesaghi & Gian Paolo Clemente & Rosanna Grassi, 2022. "Community structure in the World Trade Network based on communicability distances," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 17(2), pages 405-441, April.
    16. León, Carlos & Miguélez, Javier, 2021. "Interbank relationship lending: A network perspective," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 573(C).
    17. Rosanna Grassi & Paolo Bartesaghi & Stefano Benati & Gian Paolo Clemente, 2021. "Multi-Attribute Community Detection in International Trade Network," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 707-733, September.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation

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