Forecast of International Trade of Lithium Carbonate Products in Importing Countries and Small-Scale Exporting Countries

Yichi Zhang, Zhiliang Dong, Sen Liu, Peixiang Jiang, Cuizhi Zhang and Chao Ding
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Yichi Zhang: School of Management, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, Hebei, China
Zhiliang Dong: School of Management, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, Hebei, China
Sen Liu: School of Management, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, Hebei, China
Peixiang Jiang: School of Management, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, Hebei, China
Cuizhi Zhang: School of Management, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, Hebei, China
Chao Ding: School of Management, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, Hebei, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-23

Abstract: As the raw material of lithium-ion batteries, lithium carbonate plays an important role in the development of new energy field. Due to the extremely uneven distribution of lithium resources in the world, the security of supply in countries with less say would be greatly threatened if trade restrictions or other accidents occurred in large-scale exporting countries. It is of great significance to help these countries find new partners based on the existing trade topology. This study uses the link prediction method, based on the perspective of the topological structure of trade networks in various countries and trade rules, and eliminates the influence of large-scale lithium carbonate exporting countries on the lithium carbonate trade of other countries, to find potential lithium carbonate trade links among importing and small-scale exporting countries, and summarizes three trade rules: (1) in potential relationships involving two net importers, a relationship involving either China or the Netherlands is more likely to occur; (2) for all potential relationships, a relationship that actually occurred for more than two years in the period in 2009–2018 is more likely to occur in the future; and (3) potential relationships pairing a net exporter with a net importer are more likely to occur than other country combinations. The results show that over the next five to six years, Denmark and Italy, Netherlands and South Africa, Turkey and USA are most likely to have a lithium carbonate trading relationship, while Slovenia and USA, and Belgium and Thailand are the least likely to trade lithium carbonate. Through this study, we can strengthen the supply security of lithium carbonate resources in international trade, and provide international trade policy recommendations for the governments of importing countries and small-scale exporting countries.

Keywords: lithium-ion batteries; international trade; potential partners; link prediction; complex networks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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