Export Flows Research Articles

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ВИБОРУ СТРАТЕГІЙ ПОЗИЦІОНУВАННЯ МАЛИХ ФЕРМЕРСЬКИХ ГОСПОДАРСТВ-ВИРОБНИКІВ ЯБЛУК

For a long time, small farms were left out of marketing strategies, focusing on cultivation and traditional schemes for the sale of their products. Marketing entered agricultural industries later than industrial and consumer markets, which creates gaps in the use of marketing tools. Modern challenges actualize the mechanisms of selection, development and implementation of positioning strategies for small farms. The purpose of the article is to research and analyze the features of the market and marketing environment in which small apple farms operate and, accordingly, research the impact of the identified features on the choice of positioning strategies of these enterprises. The object of the study is positioning strategies of small farms producing apples. Methods used in the research: desk analysis, clustering method, target audience segmentation method, methods of analysis, synthesis and logical generalization, method of generalization of national experience, etc. The hypothesis of the study was the assumption that relationship marketing at the level of the B2B segment imposes its specificity on all areas of marketing activity of small farms producing apples, including on the processes of their positioning. Main Content. Classical strategies are not always applicable in the field of agricultural production, where success often depends on the ability to establish connections and cooperation with intermediaries, distribution partners, service organizations, local authorities, the labor market, and others. This necessitates the more active use of positioning strategies by agricultural producers. Apple farming in Ukraine is a strong sector of horticulture and agricultural production as a whole. It ensures the country's food security, creates significant export flows, supplies raw materials to the food industry, is a major consumer of machinery and chemicals, and provides substantial employment. Currently, a significant number of agricultural enterprises in the Chernivtsi region are engaged in apple farming. It has been established that all apple producers in this region can be categorized as small farms. It is noted that widely accepted positioning strategies need to be adapted to meet the needs of small-scale agricultural producers. The article emphasizes that among all possible positioning strategies, only a limited number are suitable for them—those focusing on the quality of the product, the "quality" of the supplier, the "quality" of the partner, and the "quality" of the employer. Given that positioning strategies require targeting a specific audience, the author identifies the following target audiences for small farms: 1) Wholesale intermediaries and buyers, 2) Local competitors, 3) Permanent and seasonal workers, 4) The local community. Originality and Practical Significance of the Study. The research analyzes practical experience and takes into account the current realities of the agricultural sector to develop effective recommendations for its application in the strategic planning of the mentioned enterprises. Conclusions and prospects for further research. The research on the characteristics of the highly competitive apple agrimarket justifies the need for small farms to develop a comprehensive positioning strategy, which includes the following components: positioning the farm as a reliable partner for wholesalers and intermediaries; positioning the farm as a trustworthy partner for cooperation and collaboration; positioning the farm as a dependable employer; and positioning the farm as a producer and supplier of high-quality products.

An Integrated Framework for Estimating Origins and Destinations of Multimodal Multi-Commodity Import and Export Flows Using Multisource Data

Estimating origin-destination (OD) demand is integral to urban, regional, and national freight transportation planning and modeling systems. However, in developing countries, existing studies reveal significant inconsistencies between OD estimates for domestic and import/export commodities derived from interregional input-output (IO) tables and those from regional IO tables. These discrepancies create a significant challenge for properly forecasting the freight demand of regional/interregional multimodal transportation networks. To this end, this study proposes a novel integrated framework for estimating regional and international (import/export) OD freight flows for a set of key commodities that dominate long-distance transportation. The framework leverages multisource data and follows a three-step process. First, a spatial economic model, PECAS activity allocation, is developed to estimate freight OD demand within a specific region. Second, the international (import and export) freight OD is estimated from different zones to foreign countries, including major import and export nodes such as international seaports, using a gravity model with the zone-pair friction obtained from a multimodal transportation model. Third, the OD matrices are converted from monetary value to tonnage and assigned to the multimodal transportation super network using the incremental freight assignment method. The model is calibrated using traffic counts of the highways, railways, and port throughput data. The proposed framework is tested through a case study of the Province of Jiangxi, which is crucial for forecasting freight demand before the planning, design, and operation of the Ganyue Canal. The predictive analytics of the proposed framework demonstrated high validity, where the goodness-of-fit (R2) between the observed and estimated freight flows on specific links for each of the three transport modes was higher than 0.9. This indirectly confirms the efficacy of the model in predicting freight OD demands. The proposed framework is adaptable to other regions and aids practitioners in providing a comprehensive tool for informed decision-making in freight demand modeling.

Female Employment and Economic Integration in Central America

ABSTRACT: Extensive literature has shown that women’s employment contributes to increasing rates of household savings and economic growth. Likewise, evidence has been reported that in an economic integration scheme, such as that of Central America, the strong economic interdependence existing between countries, because of their relatively high trade flows of imports and exports, gives rise to the spread of economic developments occurring in a country. This paper investigates the extent to which the increase in female employment in the countries of the Northern Triangle of Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras) leads to the increase in growth rates in the other countries (Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama). For this purpose, principal components, which is a data compression methodology, is used. The variables that are included in the vector of principal components are the female-to-male employment ratios in the industrial sectors of the Northern Triangle countries. All data used in the analyses were taken from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators. The first principal component of these variables explains 77 percent of the variance, and its decrease represents the deindustrialization of the respective countries. The second principal component accounts for 17 percent of the variance, and its increase represents the expansion of the service sector in the countries. The estimation of error correction equations showed that the first principal component of the female-to-male employment ratios of the industrial sector in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Costa Rica, exerted positive impacts on the economic growth rates of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, while the second principal component exerted negative impacts. The results also showed that the ratios of female to male industrial employment, as well as the first principal component, fell as tariffs on imports were reduced, reflecting a process of deindustrialization which has led to losses in economic growth, and a decrease in trade flows, and rising youth unemployment and increases of the underground economy with adverse impacts on productivity. Likewise, trends towards economic stagnation and rising unemployment have led to increases in irregular emigration and remittances. Another important result is that the process of deindustrialization, fueled by the extreme openness of economies, has generated a substantial increase in the homicide rate. In summary, the results show that female employment generates increases in the economic growth rate of the respective country and in the other member countries. However, this process of regional employment induction is undermined by the extreme openness of economies, which means that the main beneficiaries of the economic dynamism imparted by the increase in female employment may be the countries from which it is imported. In other words, “globalization” or “openness” frustrates national efforts at economic and social development. It should be noted that in the 1960s and 1970s, when the model of import substitution prevailed, the Central American economies grew at rates twice as high as those prevailing after the “reforms.” The economic policy recommendations are based on the promotion of women’s employment by increasing the levels of female schooling, the establishment of national networks of childcare centers, combating discrimination against women in the workplace, etc. Efforts to increase women’s employment will be better developed if they are structured within the framework of a national/regional employment strategy, in which objectives and targets would be established for each country, and the actions to be carried out in the areas of obtaining resources, identifying, approving and supervising projects would be outlined, and the results goals would be established with the respective indicators to be achieved in the medium and long term. But it should be pointed out that these actions cannot yield the results sought in the current structure of extreme openness of economies, which makes it necessary to design and implement policies to achieve the reindustrialization and re-agriculturalization of the economies, seeking, in addition to increasing economic dynamism, the increase of quality employment, and the reduction of violence and irregular emigration, the achievement of self-sufficiency and sustained increases in the production of goods of special importance. The results of this work have shown that in efforts to reignite economic growth, women’s employment and Central American economic integration can play important roles.

Deep, Comprehensive and Free Trade With The Euroepan Union For The Agricultural Sector of Georgia, Is it a Threat or an Opportunity Expansion?

In the article - "Deep, comprehensive and free trade with the European Union for the agricultural sector of Georgia, is it a threat or an opportunity expansion?" - the question raised is discussed from the perspective of the future development of Georgian agriculture. The article mentions that no country in the world can develop properly without foreign trade. So is Georgia. Therefore, the association agreement signed by the European Union with Georgia gave it wide opportunities to expand trade in the European Union countries and, therefore, to develop the economy. The article mentions that in Georgia agriculture, that is, the agro sector, is considered a priority field. The country should focus on the agricultural sector to expand exports to the European Union. Implementation of this policy has begun, but it faces many obstacles. In the article, it is substantiated by proper calculation that today the agro-food products of Georgia are not competitive in the European Union market. The reason for this is high costs, low quality, small volume of export flows and others. In turn, this is caused by the abundance of small farmers in the agro sector of Georgia, who are easily defeated in the market by large European agro-firms of the same profile. The article ends with the statement that no positive transformation has taken place in the agro-sector of Georgia associating with the European Union. The share of EU markets in its exports is minimal. Moreover, large European Union companies, which have the opportunity to sell products at a low price, are gradually capturing the domestic food market of Georgia. Keywords: Opportunity and threat; Agro-food products; EU market; Concurrency.

The Effects of Transit Systems on International Trade

Abstract In this paper, we estimate the trade effects of a transit system upgrading that streamlines border processing in developing countries. Our empirical approach combines transaction-level export data from El Salvador with unique data that distinguishes export flows that were processed on the transit system. Our results indicate that the new transit system lowered regulatory border costs and raised exports. At the low end, our back-of-the-envelope estimate of the return to investment is US$ 3-to-1. This evidence informs a policy covered by the 2013 WTO Agreement of Trade Facilitation.

The practice of customs logistics in the export and import of petroleum products

In Russia, oil production and refining are the leading industries. The customs logistics of the export and import of petroleum products has its own characteristics and reserves for improvement. In order to comply with the rule of law and increase the efficiency of foreign trade activities in relation to petroleum products, it is necessary to strictly control all stages of the logistics process. Effective customs logistics implies an integrated approach to solving problems from the perspective of identifying costs and reducing them in conjunction with all logistics links – from supply to distribution. In the course of the study, the specifics of the approach to customs operations in relation to petroleum products as an object of export and import logistics flows within the framework of their movement by various modes of transport were studied. The importance of the development of customs logistics for the development of foreign economic activity and the oil industry is also determined. The result of the study was the directions proposed by the authors to improve the efficiency of customs logistics in the export and import of petroleum products. They include: reduction of losses of oil and petroleum products during transportation; organization of the logistics process, taking into account the analysis of the best practices of oil processing enterprises; improvement of the efficiency of inventory management; optimization of transport routes and choice of vehicles; introduction of modern information technologies into logistics processes.

Harmonization of Trading Partners Between Indonesia–Italy: Empirical Calculations of Selected Agricultural Commodities

Initially, exports were perceived as the prestige and dignity of a nation. However, in terms of terminology, the essence of export flows is complementarity between countries, where each party has advantages, competition and excess production of a particular product to offer. The orientation of this study is to examine the relationship between tobacco exports, coffee exports, and wine exports to GDP growth in Italy–Indonesia. There are key variables which are divided into two case studies including tobacco export volume, FoB on tobacco exports, coffee export volume, FoB on coffee exports, green grape export volume, CIF on green grape exports, red wine export volume, CIF on red wine exports, GDP share of agriculture in Indonesia and Italy. The fundamental difference in wine exports from the two is that Indonesia uses green grapes and for Italy it uses red wine. The method is set through a panel data regression approach and samples for the 2013–2021. The econometric results explain that tobacco exports and coffee exports have a significant effect on the GDP share of agriculture in Indonesia–Italy. Likewise, CIF on exports of green grapes and red wines which have a significant effect on the GDP share of agriculture in both nations. These findings inspire more urgent implications for the topic of agricultural commodity exports and become an integrated whole.

Tracing China’s agrochemical complex

Chinese firms, both private and state-owned, have transformed the global agrochemical complex. China dominates exports of pesticides (particularly herbicides) and various kinds of nitrogen- and phosphorous-based fertilisers. And yet the precise nature of this transformation is poorly understood: where are Chinese agrochemicals made and by whom; in what ways is domestic production changing; which actors are active in the export market; and what is flowing where? In this article we begin to flesh out some of the detail of China’s massive agrochemical complex and its internal dynamics by examining key actors and flows in China’s agrochemical export industry. Our analysis is framed by insights drawn from the Global China literature and from pesticide studies. We find two distinct industries, both of which are in flux. Domestic environmental regulations and industry upgrading are reconfiguring the landscape for mining and chemical production, resulting in a scaling back of pesticide and fertiliser production, while mergers and acquisitions are concentrating production and export capacity in particular firms. Export flows are nonetheless growing in a generally favourable export environment. Concealed in the generic categories ‘pesticide’ and ‘fertiliser’ is the fact that different products go to different destinations and do so in patterns that complicate North-South categories. Our analysis highlights the need for new commodity geographies of Chinese-made agrochemicals that can account for production, circulation, and use.

Linking GVC with Trade Dynamics between India and the United Kingdom: A Sector-Level Analysis

In the foreseeable future, the potential for deeper integration into the global value chain (GVC) between India and the UK lies within the establishment of a prospective free trade agreement (FTA). Such an agreement holds promise in facilitating market access, thereby fostering increased participation in the GVC for both countries. This study delves into nine specific sectors, carefully examining the factors that shape India's export flows to the UK within the framework of GVC. This research raises an important question: how will the trade dynamics evolve beyond tariff easing and trade liberalisation, emphasizing the development of robust value-added linkages between these sectors? The findings reveal the pivotal role of GVC participation in sectors like textiles, clothing, and base metals, increasing India's exports to the UK. Conversely, sectors like chemicals and pharmaceuticals thrive on factors such as intensive margin and research and development expenditure, augmenting export performance. These insights underscore the necessity for nuanced, sector-specific approaches in crafting trade policies and conducting FTA negotiations, unravelling the intricacies of trade dynamics between India and the UK, and laying the groundwork for mutually beneficial economic cooperation in the future.

Analisis Tingkat Kepuasan Penumpang terhadap Kualitas Layanan di Pelabuhan Feri Kendari- Wawonii

Indonesia as an archipelagic country requires reliable sea transportation. One of the means of sea transportation is the port. One of the roles of the port is the main gateway for the flow of goods, both exports and imports, and the transfer of cargo between modes of transportation and plays an important role in the country's economy to create economic growth. This research aims to analyze passenger satisfaction with the quality of services provided at the Kendari-Wawonii Ferry Port. The implementation method is quantitative descriptive. The research sample was 384 passengers who referred to Permenpan RB Number 14 of 2017 concerning Guidelines for Preparing Community Surveys for Public Service Organizing Units. The research results found that public satisfaction at the Kendari-Wawonii Ferry Port in 2023, which is mandated by Law Number 25 of 2008 concerning Public Services, by assessing 9 elements resulted in a figure of 76,824 (not good). The elements that received the highest scores were the system elements, mechanisms and procedures, while the elements that received the lowest scores by the research respondents were the complaint handling elements and the facilities and infrastructure elements.

Internationalization and financial constraints: Opportunities, obstacles, and strategies

This study delves into the relationship between financial constraints and internationalization, investigating the role and extent of variability in access to the capital market in shaping internationalization strategic choices. In detail, focusing on the Italian manufacturing industry between 2013 and 2019, we examine this relation disentangling the effect between export and import dynamics. Initially, we run various OLS regression models to investigate the profile of exporting/importing firms, providing a preliminary picture of the internationalization process of the Italian manufacturing industry. Then, we run several GMM regression models to highlight these dynamics over time and to collect robust evidence for our hypotheses. According to the results, we observe that firms under high financial constraints have the lowest intensity of import and export flows (i), firms under moderate financial constraints have the highest intensity of export flows (ii), and firms under low financial constraints have the highest intensity of import flows (iii). An interpretation of these results concerns the heterogeneity of business-to-business payment dynamics across the EU global value chain, with the Italian market characterized by the longest delay. Hence, internationalization through export flows represents an opportunity for those companies with the most aggressive business strategies, quickly raising their internal liquidity, and complementing local financial debts with international trade credits. On the other hand, only firms with no restrictions to the capital market can afford prompt payments of foreign suppliers, easily collecting the necessary liquidity to support import flows.

Assessing the Efficiency and Potential of China’s Apple Exports

This study elucidates the factors impacting China’s apple trade, its efficiency, and opportunities for increased revenue. This study adopts a stochastic frontier gravity model on China’s apple exports data, covering the period from 1997 to 2022 across 38 significant trading partners. The finding demonstrates that the economic growth of China and its trading partners substantially boosts apple export volumes, with a positive correlation between GDP growth and export flows. The research also highlights the deterrent effect of geographical distance on exports and reveals a complex negative relationship between the per capita GDP of importing nations and export efficiency, shedding light on the nuanced nature of trade dynamics. Furthermore, the study finds that the appreciation of China’s currency plays a crucial role in enhancing export efficiency by lowering transaction costs. Meanwhile, increased agricultural land in importing countries presents competitive challenges, impacting export performance negatively. Geographical proximity and infrastructural features, such as shared borders and lack of access to seaport, are identified as significant factors in export efficiency. The analysis unveils considerable untapped export potential in various countries, suggesting a strategic avenue for market expansion. To optimize China’s apple export strategy, policymakers are advised to consider currency management, negotiate trade agreements that mitigate distance and per capita GDP effects, and target markets with high untapped potential, thereby facilitating sustainable growth in China’s apple export sector.

Research on Export Flow and Potential of Agricultural Products in China Based on Machine Learning Algorithm

The MLR (multiple linear regression) method in machine learning algorithm is a comprehensive method to study the correlation of variables, and it is also an important measure to study the relationship between variables by using linear fitting method. By combining qualitative analysis with quantitative analysis, this paper will use MLR model to make an empirical analysis of the determinants of agricultural trade flow, and use the estimated parameters to calculate the agricultural trade potential of China. The results show that the economic scale and distance have an important influence on the export flow of agricultural products in China, indicating that the economic scale is an important factor affecting the export flow of agricultural products. Regional trade arrangements have dual effects of trade transfer and trade creation, and free trade arrangements have created favorable conditions for trade expansion between countries with different demand and income levels. China's exports to Russia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia are in a state of deficiency, and there is still potential for developing agricultural products exports to these countries.

Do export responses to exchange rate movements differ in micro export flows?

This paper empirically examines how exports respond to exchange rate movements (exchange rate and exchange rate volatility) at the micro and macro levels using Turkey’s bilateral export data with 65 partner countries. Panel data contaninig 65 cross-sectional dimensions and 60 monthly time series dimensions from 2018:01 to 2022:12 are used. The empirical results of the Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML) technique show that the negative effect of exchange rate volatility on micro export flows is amplified. Moreover, the potential positive effect of the exchange rate on micro export flows is weaker. Our findings are robust against the alternative method of exchange rate volatility and nominal exchange rate volatility. Our results are also intact under alternative robustness tests. The paper provides notable policy implications. Policymakers should be aware of the potential structural differences between micro and macro exports. Therefore, policymakers should also consider other aspects such as cross-border e-commerce when formulating economic policies on microexports.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS OF UKRAINE IN THE FIELD OF RAIL TRANSPORT

The purpose of this article is to determine the competitive position of Ukraine in the field of railway transportation in comparison with Poland (a neighbouring country), Switzerland (a benchmark in the field of railway transportation) and Canada (which professes a completely different “American” principle of operating railway networks, where freight transportation is a priority). Methods. In the process of working on the article, the following research methods were used: analysis and synthesis in the selection of indicators and their grouping (production and financial, scientific and technical development, personnel characteristics) depending on the direction they characterise; methods of economic analysis – multidimensional comparative analysis, index analysis, Delphi method in determining the weight of indicators selected for analysis, rating to determine the final positions of each of the countries selected for analysis. Results. Among the main results of the study is the determination of Ukraine’s competitive position, primarily in comparison with Poland as a neighbouring country. The next most important is the group of indicators that put Ukraine behind the Swiss railways’ benchmarks, in particular, the quality of infrastructure and electrification. The scientific novelty of the results obtained is an attempt to assess the competitive positions of railway transport, which seemingly cannot compete with each other, since each of them operates in a separate territory (in most cases within the same country) and their interests hardly overlap. Currently, this is not entirely true, since, after the large-scale invasion, due to the blockade of Ukrainian seaports, a significant part of export and import commodity flows has moved to rail transport, and by analysing the situation in each individual transit country, it is possible to choose the direction that will be most acceptable for the long-distance transportation of goods to “third” countries. The practical significance of the results obtained can be viewed from at least two perspectives. The first is the indicators that have caused the Ukrainian railway to lag behind the benchmark state (Switzerland) and the work to improve the situation in each of the areas. The second side is the possibility of conducting a similar assessment of the situation in rail transport among all of Ukraine’s neighbouring countries and identifying the highest priority areas for sending most of the export and import cargo to “third” countries.

Decomposition approach for examining effects of logistic performance on exports: A case study of Vietnam

The study evaluates to what extent logistics performance and its components impact Vietnam’s bilateral export value. The augmented Gravity model is applied on panel data in the period from 2010 to 2018. Logistics efficiency is measured by Logistic performance index (LPI) and its sub-indices developed by the World Bank. A variety of diagnostic tests and estimation methods are employed to ensure the stability of the results. The main findings confirm that all explanatory variables demonstrate the expected signs, and aggregate logistics performance and its sub-indices have positive impacts on Vietnam’s export flows, with the magnitude of logistics impacts is greater than other factors in the research model. Among LPI components of Vietnam, Ease of arranging shipments index is the most influential factor on exports, followed by Infrastructure, Timeliness, and Quality of logistics services. These export’s effects are also identified by partners’ LPI indicators namely Quality of logistics services, Customs, Infrastructure, and Tracking and tracing.

The Unseen Ripples: Examining the Links Between COVID-19-induced Disruptions and Trade Dynamics in Asia-Pacific Countries

The global COVID-19 epidemic and the strategies that were adopted to restrict its spread, such as lockdowns, had a significant impact on international trade. While the health crisis and the lockdown restrictions were linked, their repercussions on world trade patterns were distinct. This study examines trade data from 30 Asian-Pacific countries to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their trading patterns. In addition, it looks at the effects of COVID-19-related policies on trade flows and explores the causality between changes in trade flows and policies induced by COVID-19. The cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) model, Juodis, Karavias, and Sarafidis (JKS) causality test and Dumitrescu–Hurlin causality test were employed to examine trade patterns of the Asia-Pacific amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of CS-ARDL model showed that COVID-19 cases, deaths and policy-related indices induced a noteworthy and negative influence on export and import flows of Asia and Pacific both in the short- and long run. However, with few exceptions, on average, the impact of COVID-19-related measures is far bigger than that of COVID-19 deaths as well as cases in the long run. Further, the study found that the COVID-19 cases, deaths and COVID-19 policy-related measures have a Granger-causal relationship with exports and imports. Therefore, fostering regional cooperation, strengthening trade agreements and prudent management of COVID-19-induced policies will be essential in a crisis like COVID-19 to streamline trade processes and to achieve the optimum level of exports and imports.

The Role of Moderators on Product Quality and Export Flows: The Case of Pakistan

High-quality products are always in demand for both local and international markets. The demand for such products can be increased by the product sales at a domestic level. It can also be helpful to increase the export flows of an economy and hence improve the trade flows. Other factors have a moderating role in determining the relationship between export product quality and trade flows. The objective of this study is to examine the role of moderating variables, which are used to check the strength of the above relationship. There are three variables: financial constraints, firm heterogeneity, and R&D activities are taken as moderators. For this purpose, the data is taken from annual financial reports of non-financial firms which are listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Also, some country-level data is taken from the Pakistan Economic Survey. The objective of the study was achieved by using panel techniques Fixed Effect, Random Effect Model for the period of 1999 to 2020. It is found that firm heterogeneity and R&D activities have positive and financial constraints have negative but significant effects on strengthening the relationship between product quality and export flows. Based on our findings, the government should provide R&D funds and financial aid programs for new investors to improve product quality and increase their sales in local and international markets.

Российско-китайское сотрудничество в области торговли энергоресурсами в условиях действия западных санкций

Since 2014, Russian energy companies have faced challenges due to sanctions imposed by Western coun-tries. However, after the outbreak of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine in 2022, sanctions took on an avalanche-like nature, posing a serious threat to the development of the Russian energy sector. This forced Russia to reorient its export flows of hydrocarbons, especially natural gas. Sanctions in the energy sector had a significant impact not only on Russia’s energy industry but also on the global market for energy resources. They led to a reconsideration of the trading strategy for energy resources between Russia and China. This article highlights and characterizes the challenges posed by anti-Russian sanctions to the cooperation between Rus-sia and China in the supply of Russian gas after the start of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine in Feb-ruary 2022.

Trade flows of Central Asian states within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Aim. To form a systematic understanding of the structure of trade of Central Asian states within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).Objectives. To analyze the commodity structure of trade flows and their geographical distribu- tion; to identify key characteristics of trade flow networks of Central Asian states within the SCO.Methods. Statistical analysis of the geographical, commodity, sectoral structure of exports and imports of goods, as well as the degree of their technological capacity.Results. It can be stated that there are practically no high-tech groups of goods among the significant commodity groups in the trade of Central Asian SCO member states with their part- ners in this organization. Moreover, to a large extent the growth of trade turnover of the countries is conditioned by the intensification of supplies of various raw materials to China (oil, ore, textile and agrarian raw materials). The pattern of “raw materials for raw materials” trade exchange often persists, especially between the Central Asian states proper; moreover, these countries are to a large extent competitors, as the commodity structure of their export flows largely coincides (in particular, in terms of raw materials and agrarian products). Conclusions. The current situation hampers the development of industrial cooperation between the SCO countries. The fact that the “One Belt - One Road” initiative is based on the established trade specializations of the countries may, on the one hand, “revive” trade relations in the region, on the other hand, consolidate the role of Central Asian states as suppliers of raw ma- terials for China.