ANALYSIS OF THE STATE AND DYNAMICS OF UKRAINE'S FOREIGN TRADE IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF A FULL-SCALE INVASION WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE FTA+ WITH THE EU

Abstract

Topicality. Ukraine is among the twenty leading countries in terms of the gross production of vegetable products, but even in the pre-war years, the production of fruit and vegetable products was characterized by a decrease in the competitiveness of Ukrainian commodity producers on the foreign market. Disproportions in costs, processing and sales of manufactured products led to an increase in the import of vegetable products and a negative trade balance in foreign trade operations. Problems in the production and foreign trade of vegetable and fruit growing products were aggravated by the war, since the beginning of the invasion, Ukrainian producers lost a significant amount of agricultural land, and the traditional ways of transporting goods were blocked. Meanwhile, the export of agricultural products was and remains an important source of foreign exchange for the country, and the volume of the vegetable segment can even exceed the grain segment. In the conditions when the war has reduced the opportunities for Ukraine to supply goods to foreign markets, has caused the need to review the geographical structure of supply, the Ukrainian agricultural market faces the task of increasing export supplies of vegetables, fruits, as well as their processing products. The growing demand for these products in the EU creates additional opportunities for Ukrainian manufacturers. That is why there is a need to investigate the impact of DFTA+ on the development of foreign trade in fruit and vegetable products and to identify problems that prevent the growth of exports of vegetables and fruits to the EU.Aim and tasks. The purpose of the article is to analyze the state and dynamics of Ukraine's foreign trade in fruit and vegetable products with the EU in the conditions of a full-scale invasion and the effect of DFTA+ conditions, as well as to identify problems and prospects for increasing the export of these products to the EU market. Achieving the goal involves an analysis of the dynamics and structure of trade in vegetables and fruits with EU countries, a study of the impact of the DFTA+ on export and import, identification of problems that hinder the export of vegetables and fruits to the EU, a generalization of promising directions for increasing the export of fruit and vegetable products to the EU market..Materials and Methods. Previous scientific-theoretical and practical publications on the problems of foreign trade between Ukraine and the EU in agricultural products served as the methodological basis of the study. The informational and statistical base of the study is the data of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine and the Customs Service of Ukraine. The study of trends in foreign trade in fruit and vegetable products of Ukraine and the EU was carried out using the methods of structural analysis, synthesis and generalization, and statistical analysis. A graphical method was used to visualize the results.Research results. As a result of the study, the dynamics of export and import of vegetables and fruits of Ukraine from the EU for 2017-2023 were analyzed. The general trend towards an increase in trade turnover with the EU and the share of the EU in Ukraine's foreign trade in fruit and vegetable products was revealed. An increase in the volume of fruit exports to EU countries has been demonstrated, which indicates the increase in the competitiveness of Ukrainian producers and the facilitation of access to the European market due to the strengthening of economic cooperation. It was noted that the export of vegetables decreased, while the import increased, which caused a negative balance. The commodity and geographical structure of foreign trade in fruit and vegetable products between Ukraine and the EU is analyzed. The features of 2022-2023 against the background of war and trade preferences from the EU are shown. The logistical problems that, in the conditions of a full-scale invasion, have a significant impact on the possibility of increasing foreign trade in fruit and vegetable products from the EU are summarized.Conclusion. A conclusion was made about the generally positive impact of the DFTA+ on the development of trade in vegetables and fruits with the EU, which is evidenced by the increase in the total turnover of vegetables and fruits. Fruit exports from Ukraine to the EU grew rapidly, especially in 2020-2021. The export of vegetables from Ukraine was marked by growth from 2017 to 2018, however, in the following years the balance has a negative value, which indicates problems with the certification of Ukrainian vegetables in the period until 2022 and the need for national producers to satisfy the existing domestic demand during the war. It was revealed that Poland and the Netherlands became the largest partners in terms of vegetable turnover among the EU countries, while Greece and Poland became the largest partners in terms of fruit turnover. In general, among the main logistical problems of the supply of fruit and vegetable products for export during the war, the lack of well-established diversified export channels is noted; lack of sufficient volumes of working capital for sowing campaigns; availability of product storage restrictions; an increase in tariffs for the transportation of goods by both road and rail transport; security risks due to the replacement of liberated territories and the proximity of hostilities.