I still have my copy of Warden Clans and that's where my love for the Clan started.
"Upon gaining control of Clan Sea Fox, Khan Nagasawa took immediate steps to ensure her Clan’s long-term viability. Her historical studies had led her to believe that the Star League’s greatest strength had come from its material prosperity and the value it placed on the individual citizen. She saw both as compatible with the Clan way, including the Clan’s caste system. She therefore supported cooperation and interdependence between her Clan’s castes, a policy that paid dividends."
It goes on to say how the Sea Foxes wheeled and dealed their way throughout Can history and even led/assisted with the changes in the clans involving Iron-woumb, Chatterweb, Omni-Mech, Elementals...
In the aftermath of the invasion they saw that they had gone down the wrong path by throwing in with the crusaders so they changed their tactics and went back to doing what they do best: seek out new opportunities and invest in their future.
They assisted the Nova Cats when they moved to the Draconis Combine, and are allies of the Ghost Bears.
They started producing more mechs for sale to the other Clans and eventually to the Inner Sphere, they also aided worlds hit hard by the Jihad with their merchant fleets.
It is my belief that though the Sea Foxes are a mercantile Clan, they are also the Clan of individual liberty, cross-caste respect, and understand the true value of people.
I think that in moving to the scattered clearing worlds and keeping to their fleets, that the Sea Foxes represent a lesser profile to agressors, can mobilize their forces faster than any other power, and keep the trade lines open to all the Inner Sphere Powers.