Overall, the evidence suggests that structural positioning in the copper concentrate trade network depends not only on export scale, but on connectivity patterns, brokerage capacity, and external alignment strategies. These structural characteristics are central to understanding LAC’s evolving role in critical mineral markets. These structural insights provide an analytical foundation for understanding how LAC’s positioning in the copper concentrate trade network may evolve under increasing demand volatility and geopolitical realignment. Future research should examine whether the observed post-2020 convergence among Chile, Peru, and Mexico represents a transitional alignment within dominant global communities or the early stage of more coordinated regional positioning. Additionally, further investigation into trade diversification patterns, connectivity resilience under demand shocks, and shifts in brokerage roles will be essential to assess whether LAC can strengthen its structural leverage beyond volume-based participation. In this sense, the network evidence presented here serves not only to map current trade architecture, but to inform export strategy design, bilateral negotiation positioning, infrastructure planning, and mineral governance coordination in the context of critical mineral markets. REFERENCES Alessandri, E. (2021). Innovation and trade patterns in the Latin American mining sector. Working Paper No. 2103, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics. Aguinaga, M. V. (2024). Dynamics of Peru’s position in the global copper ore trade: A social network analysis. Master’s thesis, Seoul National University. https://s-space.snu.ac.kr/handle/10371/209793 Atakhanova, Z., Howie, P., Madani, N. et al. Productive capacities and exports of critical minerals: the case of copper. Miner Econ (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13563-025-00521-x Biancardi, A., D’Adamo, I., Santibanez-Gonzalez, E. D. R., & Bascur, J. F. V. (2025). A flexible and circular management of copper in Chile: New perspectives toward sustainable development. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 26(4), 813–837. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40171-025-00464-w Blondel, V. D., Guillaume, J. L., Lambiotte, R., & Lefebvre, E. (2008). Fast unfolding of communities in large networks. Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment, 2008(10), P10008 Botto, M. (2022). The challenges of economic integration in Latin America: Searching for consensus in contexts of globalization. The case of MERCOSUR (1991–2019). In The Reconfiguration of Twenty-first Century Latin American Regionalism. Routledge. 41
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