Evolution and Vulnerability of the Global Ready-to-Eat Aquatic Products Trade Network: A Complex Network Analysis

Against the background of increasing complexity in global aquatic food supply chains and rising trade risks, the structural stability and vulnerability of ready-to-eat Aquatic Products trade networks have become increasingly prominent. This study applies complex network analysis to examine the evolution and vulnerability of the overall trade network and its subnetworks. The results show that (1) the overall trade network exhibits significant small-world characteristics; (2) the core countries in the network are China, the United States, Thailand, France, and Spain, which play dominant roles; (3) the community structure of the overall network is clearer, with stronger intra-community trade links; (4) all subnetworks also exhibit small-world properties, and different categories of ready-to-eat Aquatic Products have different core countries; (5) vulnerability analysis shows that the network is sensitive to targeted attacks, non-fish subnetworks are more vulnerable, while fish subnetworks are more stable. These findings provide practical guidance for procurement decisions, supply chain configuration, and risk management in the ready-to-eat Aquatic Products industry.