Investigating the Characteristics of Uranium Trade Flows and Trade Evolution along the Supply Chain

Abstract

Nuclear energy is essential for national energy security and clean energy transition, which has been defined as a critical mineral by many countries. However, the supply of nuclear fuel in the international market is complex. Currently, the trade flow and trade pattern characteristics of the uranium supply chain have not been clarified, and insufficient attention has been paid. To explore this issue, this paper constructs a multi-layer complex network model of uranium supply chain based on uranium product trade data from 2014 to 2023 through complex network methods. Then, we focus on the topological characteristics, trade flow, trade pattern evolution characteristics of the multi-layer trade supply chain network of uranium (MTCN), and the importance of major trading countries in the network. The results show: (1) international trade in the global uranium supply chain is of a "boom-to-fade" characterization, with the number of participating countries, trade relations and trade volumes decreasing, while the main hub countries are fixed. (2) The global uranium trade flow shows a significant centralized characterization, with the characteristic of large to small along the supply chain. Besides, the main trade is concentrated in the upstream natural uranium, and it has formed a "Kazakhstan-Canada" supply center and a "China-USA-France" demand center. (3) Importing countries, such as Russia and USA, show strong resource control in uranium supply chain trade. It expects that the findings of this paper will help countries involved in uranium trading to develop sustainable resource management policies.