Trade missions in the system of Ukrainian economic diplomacy

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of trade missions as a tool of economic diplomacy. The purpose of the article is to study the Ukrainian practice of using the mechanism of trade missions abroad and to develop proposals for improving the system of trade and economic representation of the country abroad.The paper presents global examples of the implementation of economic diplomacy, as well as models that can be borrowed from Ukraine. The authors give examples not only of forms of trade representations, but also of coordination methods of activity of such foreign bodies of foreign relations. The relevance of the study is due to a number of reasons, including: increased competition from global markets, as well as the need to expand opportunities of Ukrainian exports after the forced abandonment of the Russian market in 2013-2014. Trade offices are an effective form of trade presence in foreign markets thus ensuring not only the development of the national economy, but also protecting the interests of business entities. Given that currently the institution of trade missions in Ukraine does not have a mechanism that would meet modern needs, there is a need to explore appropriate models of developed countries to adapt the system of public administration in Ukraine to the challenges of international economic relations.Particular attention was paid to the evolution of the system of trade and economic missions (TEM) of Ukraine. The authors assessed the consequences of the liquidation of TEM in 2010 and the introduction of new forms of representations of Ukraine abroad to ensure national economic interests and the implementation of economic diplomacy, as well as the feasibility of such changes. It is established that the Ukrainian model of economic diplomacy needs significant reforms in order to effectively ensure the function of representation in the economic sphere outside the country. Having studied the similar experience of foreign countries, the authors offer a number of successful cases for borrowing these approaches in Ukrainian practice.