Mexico 11 4 8 Brazil 29 3 11 2020 Chile-Peru-Mexico 58 10 87 Brazil 20 1 7 2024 Chile-Peru-Mexico 48 8 71 Brazil 34 2 7 In 2010, Chile, Peru–Mexico, and Brazil were located in three separate communities. The Chile-centered community included 12 nodes and represented 54% of global weighted trade, while the Peru–Mexico community comprised 42 nodes (31% of global weighted trade), and Brazil belonged to a 41-node community accounting for 13%. This configuration reflects structural dispersion of LAC exporters across different global blocs. By 2015, partial consolidation emerged, with Chile and Peru sharing community membership. However, Mexico and Brazil remained structurally separated, indicating limited regional cohesion. A clearer structural shift appears in 2020, when Chile, Peru, and Mexico converge into a single dominant community composed of 58 nodes and accounting for 87% of global weighted trade. Brazil remains outside this grouping. This dual structure persists in 2024, where the Chile–Peru–Mexico community contains 48 nodes and captures 71% of global weighted trade, while Brazil forms part of a separate 34-node community (7%), which includes Panama. The persistence of Brazil outside the main LAC grouping across all observed years highlights differentiated integration pathways within the region. Meanwhile, the convergence of Chile, Peru, and Mexico after 2020 suggests increasing structural alignment driven by shared exposure to dominant global demand centers rather than by intra-regional trade intensification. The visual comparison between Figure 1 (2010) and Figure 2 (2024) reinforces this interpretation. In 2010, LAC exporters appear more structurally dispersed within the network visualization. By 2024, Chile and Peru are clearly embedded within the same dominant trade axis, characterized by thick outbound flows toward major demand hubs. Mexico is structurally aligned within the same community, although with lower intensity. Brazil, however, remains positioned within a distinct trade configuration. Importantly, this consolidation does not imply the formation of a LAC-centered trade bloc. Instead, community membership reflects integration into globally structured value chains. The dominant community in 2020 and 2024 is not defined by regional interdependence among LAC exporters but by shared participation in concentrated global trade flows. Therefore, the 38
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