A Study on Digital Supply Chain Optimization for Zhanjiang Aquatic Products under the Sino-US Trade War

Abstract

The ongoing Sino-US trade tariff war poses severe challenges to China's aquatic industry, which is oriented towards exports to the US. Zhanjiang, as the nation's largest processing and export base for farmed shrimp and a major production area for shellfish, is facing a triple pressure of shrinking export markets, cost inversions, and insufficient resilience of traditional supply chains. This paper constructs a theoretical analysis framework of "Institutional Pressure—Supply Chain Response—Value Reconstruction" to systematically dissect the transmission mechanisms of tariff shocks and the pathways of digital adaptation within Zhanjiang's aquatic product supply chain. Based on an in-depth analysis of three typical cases—the policy instruments of Zhanjiang Customs, the China Oyster Capital Industrial Internet Platform, and the Quanlian Jicai Smart Cold Chain Logistics Park—this study finds that digital supply chain optimization achieves a paradigm shift from "passively bearing tariffs" to "actively defining value" through three pathways: deconstructing singular tariff risks via market diversification, reshaping the distribution of trade gains through transparent price formation mechanisms, and building capabilities to counter non-tariff barriers via full-chain traceability. The research further proposes a three-dimensional optimization framework encompassing the construction of an industry-level digital ecosystem, the upgrading of enterprise-level technology adoption, and the adaptation of the policy-level institutional environment. This reveals that digitalization is not merely an efficiency tool, but a new type of strategic asset for restructuring the distribution of power in the global aquatic value chain amidst trade wars. This study provides a theoretical explanation for the digital transformation of traditional industries under the strain of trade friction and offers practical reference for building supply chain resilience in other export-oriented agricultural production areas.