This study examines how recent global supply chain reconfiguration has reshaped the structure of the semiconductor supply chain from a network perspective. Using UN COMTRADE trade data, the semiconductor supply chain is reconstructed as an international trade network and divided into three tiers: upstream raw materials, midstream process-related inputs, and downstream finished semiconductor products. Social network analysis is applied to compare structural changes between 2019 and 2024 using degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and modularity. The results show that the semiconductor supply chain has undergone significant structural change over time, but the direction of change differs across tiers. Upstream and midstream networks exhibit increasing modularity, indicating stronger regional fragmentation and bloc formation, whereas the downstream memory semiconductor network shows declining modularity, reflecting persistent structural concentration. These findings suggest that semiconductor supply chain reconfiguration is not uniform, but tier-specific, shaped by technological intensity, market structure, and geopolitical risk.
Heo et al. (Sun,) studied this question.