Foreign Trade of Russia and Irkutsk Region: General Trends and Regional Specifics

Abstract

At the present stage of economic development, foreign trade is of great importance for any country both in terms of expanding markets and obtaining additional profits, and in terms of increasing influence on the world market. Russia's trade turnover consists of exports and imports of different regions located in various natural and climatic zones. Analysis of the commodity and geographical structure of exports and imports of Russia and the Irkutsk region indicates the presence of certain regional characteristics. The article discusses the dynamics of changes in foreign trade at the level of the country as a whole and compares it with similar indicators of the Irkutsk region, identifies the causes of discrepancy or difference in shares of certain commodities in export and import. The positive and negative trends observed in the commodity structure in recent years are determined and the conclusion is made about the need and possible promising options for changing the commodity and geographical structure of foreign trade at the regional level and throughout the country.