International Trade In Agricultural Products Research Articles

Economic sanctions and agricultural trade

AbstractEconomic sanctions are more popular than ever. But do they affect agricultural trade? Combining two new datasets and capitalizing on the latest developments in the empirical structural gravity literature, we investigate the effects of sanctions on international trade of agricultural products. We find that trade sanctions impede agricultural trade, whereas other sanctions do not show any significant impact. Complete trade sanctions have led to about a 67% decrease in the agricultural trade between the sanctioned and sanctioning countries, or a corresponding tariff equivalent of 25%, and we also obtain significant estimates for partial sanctions. At the industry level, we find substantial heterogeneity depending on the sanctioning and sanctioned countries, the type of sanctions used, and the direction of trade flows. The 2014 sanctions on Russia substantially decreased Russia's agricultural trade, mainly due to reduced trade with the EU but also due to reduced trade with other countries. Although no definitive evidence exists that sanctions alter the actions of governments of receiving countries, this paper provides broad evidence that sanctions hamper agrifood trade and hurt producers, consumers, and real output.

Structural and Dynamic Changes in International Trade in Agricultural Products in Ukraine

The article is devoted to studying the structural and dynamic changes in international trade in agricultural products in Ukraine. The authors reveal the theoretical essence of international trade in agricultural products, considering export and import conditions in light of modern challenges. The assessment of the foreign trade regime is provided and the trends and impact of implementing the Agreement on Association between Ukraine and the EU on the development of Ukraine's foreign trade are established. It was found that, on one hand, the export orientation of raw materials to the EU crop production market has increased, while on the other hand, there remains a high import dependence on prepared food products, with a more diversified import structure. The peculiarities of key directions of Ukraine's agro-industrial market under martial law and its place in the global food security system are described. The article also examines the structure of Ukraine's trading partners, which have been revised since the beginning of the war. The peculiarities of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in international trade in agricultural products are analysed. Ways of diversifying exports and increasing the profitability of foreign trade in agricultural products from Ukraine in the EU market are suggested.

The Fall Armyworm and Larger Grain Borer Pest Invasions in Africa: Drivers, Impacts and Implications for Food Systems.

Invasive alien species (IAS) are a major biosecurity threat affecting globalisation and the international trade of agricultural products and natural ecosystems. In recent decades, for example, field crop and postharvest grain insect pests have independently accounted for a significant decline in food quantity and quality. Nevertheless, how their interaction and cumulative effects along the ever-evolving field production to postharvest continuum contribute towards food insecurity remain scant in the literature. To address this within the context of Africa, we focus on the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), two of the most important field and postharvest IAS, respectively, that have invaded Africa. Both insect pests have shown high invasion success, managing to establish themselves in >50% of the African continent within a decade post-introduction. The successive and summative nature of field and postharvest damage by invasive insect pests on the same crop along its value chain results in exacerbated food losses. This systematic review assesses the drivers, impacts and management of the fall armyworm and larger grain borer and their effects on food systems in Africa. Interrogating these issues is important in early warning systems, holistic management of IAS, maintenance of integral food systems in Africa and the development of effective management strategies.

The role of nature's contributions to people in sustaining international trade of agricultural products

Abstract Nature's contributions to people (NCP) are essential for the production and trade of agricultural, forestry and fishery commodities. Often, there is a spatial disconnect between consumers and the natural systems where the commodities are produced. Traded agricultural products are therefore dependent on nature and NCP in their region of origin. The dependencies of agricultural products on NCP are, however, insufficiently recognised by consumers and are rarely considered in global environmental governance and trade policies along value chains. Here, we synthesise studies highlighting dependencies of agricultural products on NCP in their origin locations to identify opportunities and challenges in quantifying their contribution in sustaining trade flows. We suggest three methodological steps for quantifying NCP dependencies in international agricultural trade: spatial mapping of NCP supply and demand, linking NCP to agricultural trade flows, and tracing trade flows. Each methodological step requires further development and harmonisation to enable a complete accounting of how international agricultural trade depends on NCP. Given the lack of knowledge and data on how NCP support agricultural trade, social and environmental trade‐offs of natural resource management are currently hard to quantify. Quantifying the role of NCP dependencies of traded agricultural products can support their sustainable management, contribute to supply chain accountability and serve as input to sustainable natural resource governance and foster responsibility and equity in supply chains. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Virtual water flows and drivers in the international trade of agricultural products of the regional comprehensive economic partnership.

The regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) is today the largest free trade area in the world. This paper examines agricultural trade in the RCEP from 2010 to 2019 through the perspective of virtual water. And the drivers of the virtual water flow between China and the RCEP are also explored. The results are as follows: the virtual water flow during the study period was 2,576.51 billion m3. From a temporal perspective, the annual virtual water flow over the study period is characterized by a slow rise-significant fall-slow rise. It has the characteristics of concentration in spatial distribution and water resources and product structure. However, the concentration degree showed a downward trend during the study period. Then, we have divided the major trading into four categories based on whether there is a shortage of water on both sides of the trade. In terms of the drivers of virtual water flows between China and the RCEP, we have used the gravity model to arrive at the following findings: crop yields, bilateral economic scale, and agricultural labor resources are the main drivers. Our research results have reference values for adjusting bilateral agricultural trade and water conservation.

The impact of trade policy and agreements on the development of international trade in Ukraine’s agricultural sector

International trade is now one of the main types of international relations, without which it is impossible to imagine the modern functioning of any economy. Thus, it is significant to investigate the impact of various types of government policies and individual agreements on this type of relationship and the very development of countries. The purpose of this study was to show how external activity and trade interact in the agricultural sector in Ukraine. The main methods employed in this study included analysis, forecasting, and abstraction. The study described the role of international trade, specifically in the agricultural sector, considering its significance for the country’s economic development. The role of international trade was briefly described from a theoretical standpoint. The study, based on the analysis of statistical data, also showed the impact of trade agreements on the development of foreign trade. In the context of the study of the agricultural economy, it was shown that the gradual growth of Ukrainian agricultural exports, imports, and foreign trade is strongly related to the number of trade agreements concluded. The corresponding equation of dependence of values was constructed and its economic meaning was explained. The role of the sector in general, and specifically in the current martial law environment, was also described. Special attention was paid to Ukraine’s agricultural sector, which plays a crucial role in economic development. The role of this sector and the unique characteristics of the industry were substantiated. A strong correlation between the number of trade agreements and the volume of international trade in the agricultural sector of Ukraine was noted through regression analysis, which led to conclusions about the role of trade agreements in the development of international trade in agricultural products. This study brings new knowledge in terms of assessing the role of international trade for the country’s development, as well as analysing the current general state of Ukraine’s economy.

Retracted: Problems and Countermeasures of China’s International Trade in Agricultural Products under the Belt and Road Strategy Based on Big Data Analysis Technology in the Internet of Things Era

Retracted: Problems and Countermeasures of China’s International Trade in Agricultural Products under the Belt and Road Strategy Based on Big Data Analysis Technology in the Internet of Things Era

Problems and prospects of the development of foreign economic activity of agricultural enterprises in the conditions of war

In 2022, the share of agri-food products in the total export of Ukraine increased to 53 % from 41 % in 2021, maintaining the leadership in its product structure and becoming the maximum since the inde-pendence of our state. According to the data of the State Customs Service of Ukraine, at the end of 2022, Ukraine exported agricultural food products in the amount of 23.6 billion USD. In 2022, 38.5 million tons of domestic grain worth $9.1 billion were exported to foreign markets. According to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, in 2022 the value of the export of seeds and fruits of oil crops amounted to almost 3.8 billion USD. This is 54 percent more than in 2021. The most noticeable and multiple increase in sunflower exports was from 0.08 million tons in 2021 to 2.8 million tons in 2022. A characteristic feature of 2022 was the further consolidation of the European Union's position in the fruit and seed markets of domestic oil crops. Last year, the countries of this region bought more than 3/4 of the value of supplies of all oil crops from Ukraine. Despite the war, Ukraine was able to increase the export of meat and offal by 9 %, bringing its figures to 925 million USD. The Netherlands became the leader in the export of Ukrainian meat, purchasing more than 27 % of production for 252 million USD. Among the leaders were also Slovakia, China, UAE and Turkey. Their shares are 7 %, 4.8 %, 4.5 %, 3.6 %, respectively. In 2022, despite the war and blockade of sea ports, Ukraine exported dairy products worth 344.6 million USD, which is 39% more than in 2021. In 2022, dynamic changes took place in international trade. The war made adjustments to the strategic issues of international trade in agricultural products, particularly export and logistics. In April 2022, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria canceled the requirements for obtaining permits for international cargo transportation for humanitarian cargo, and Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia, and others temporarily completely canceled the requirements for obtaining permits for bilateral inter-national and transit transportation. On August 30, 2022, Ukraine joined the Convention on the Common Transit Procedure. There was a dynamic reorientation of Ukraine's foreign trade to European markets and new logistics routes, which significantly eased the restrictions imposed by the Russian's blockade of the Black Sea seaports.

Trade, Foreign Direct Investment and Agriculture in Developing Countries

Agriculture continues to make significant contributions to developing countries in the presence of globalisation. Thus, international trade and foreign capital flows are important to developing countries. The authors used data on 115 developing countries from 1995 to 2020 to investigate the effect of inward and outward foreign direct investment (FDI) on trade in the agricultural sector of developing countries. Inward FDI enhanced exports, imports, and trade openness. However, outward FDI did not affect exports, imports, and trade openness. To escalate international trade in agricultural products, developing countries must continue to promote the inflow of FDI into agriculture (AIFDI). This requires paying attention to appropriate management of the macroeconomy, keeping down the inflation rate, optimising the currency exchange rate, and keeping interest rates down to boost investment among others. Whilst these would enhance AIFDI that would promote trade, these would directly promote trade. As developing countries have often suffered foreign exchange pressures, they must enhance foreign exchange receipts through increased exports. Increasing human capital can increase exports. Unlike existing studies, the authors used more current data covering many developing countries and accounted for endogeneity.

Exploring the path of development of international trade of agricultural products in the context of digitalization

Abstract Agriculture is the foundation of the national economy, and Chinese agriculture in the digital background should realize the intelligent management of agricultural production To improve the efficiency of international trade of Chinese agricultural products and help Chinese agricultural products occupy a larger share in the international market, this paper takes the clustering algorithm and agricultural IoT technology as the research method applies the improved spectral clustering algorithm for processing agricultural data to extract research data and perform data correction, simulates and evaluates the performance of the algorithm through agricultural IoT data pooling and simulation analysis, and uses the chance routing performance index as the main judgment The variance results are derived from the criteria. The data show that the production of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery has developed qualitatively in the digital background, and the total output value reached 122,874.96 billion yuan in 2021, and the total grain production reached 73,000,000 tons in 2021, with obvious export advantages. The export value of agricultural products has grown from $48.98 billion in 2010 to $85.06 billion in 2021, and the export value of China’s agricultural products exceeded $70 billion in 2014, making China’s international trade in agricultural products fruitful. Based on this, this paper explores the multifaceted achievements and future development path of international trade in agricultural products in the context of digitalization, intending to contribute its share to China’s international trade in agricultural products.

Maritime connectivity and agricultural trade

AbstractSeaborne shipping is the dominant mode of transport in international trade in agricultural products, and an increasing part of seaborne agricultural trade is carried in containers. Furthermore, the majority of world containers are moved through liner shipping services, that is, regular transport services provided by global shipping companies which comprise a dense network connecting ports and countries around the world. Using a theoretically consistent gravity equation and a novel identification strategy based on the use of intra‐national trade flows, this paper investigates the effect of liner shipping connectivity on international trade in agricultural products. The results show that liner shipping connectivity has a positive and statistically significative effect on agricultural trade. Moreover, this positive effect can be observed for the majority of the agricultural products analysed and is also identified for countries at different stages of development. These findings appear especially relevant in terms of the objective of increasing less developed countries' participation in global agricultural trade.

An attempt to develop a policy framework for the global sustainability of freshwater resources in the virtual water trade

International trade in agricultural products transfers significant virtual water flow between countries. However, it must be clarified whether countries or trade agreements take virtual water in products and goods that are traded into account. Despite unprecedented worldwide attention paid to water status, there is currently no framework for virtual water usage that may serve as the basis for global virtual water administration. The primary objective of this study is to address this research gap. This study attempted to develop an international policy framework in which political actors, governments, and private companies create shared responsibility agreements regarding water as the most fundamental natural resource for sustainable use. In this study, we performed a global assessment of the virtual water trade (VWT) of wheat from 2002 to 2021. Although previous research has hypothesized that will use the world's freshwater resources sustainably by transferring virtual water from water-abundant to water-deficient countries, However, based on the developed policy framework, we discovered that there is no positive correlation between the water abundance of virtual water exporting countries and the global sustainability of freshwater resources. A total of 68.3 % of the global VWT for wheat is unsustainable. Water-abundant countries, such as the United States, Australia, and the Russian Federation, are responsible for the greatest unsustainability in the VWT of wheat. Our results could contribute to developing decision-making tools for the global sustainability of freshwater resources used in VWT.

The Solution to the Russian Dilemma of WTO Membership in the Context of Agricultural Trade

The subject of this study is the legal and organizational issues of Russia's participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The analysis is conducted in the context of trade in agricultural products. The purpose of this article is to create an argumentative point supporting the view that Russia should continue being a member of the WTO. The methodology of the research is represented by general scientific methods, special scientific methods and methods of argumentation. The analysis considers the legal possibility of termination of membership in the WTO, the main misconceptions of supporters for withdrawal, the alleged consequences of withdrawal, as well as recommendations for further participation in the Organization. The issues examined in this study are of current interest in view of the increasing pressure of the supporters for withdrawal from the WTO in the context of the global economic and geopolitical challenges Russia is facing. Scientific novelty of the article is in the complex argumentation of the overall positive effect of Russia's participation in the WTO for international trade in agricultural products. The conclusions of the study underline the impossibility of Russia’s suspension or expulsion from the Organization, as well as the need for Russia to continue its membership and to build trade relations with foreign partners under the WTO rules.

Transborder logistics network design for agricultural product transportation in the Greater Mekong Subregion

This research aimed to design a transportation model for the international trade of agricultural products between Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, known as the Great Mekong Subregion (GMS). Agricultural products are transported from a farmers’ cooperative to a foreign end market. The mathematical models GA, DE, and VaNSAS were developed to determine the optimal mode of transportation. The objectives of the proposed methods are to (1) maximize the total profit for the entire agricultural chain and (2) minimize the makespan or the arrival time of the containers to the end market in order to maintain the freshness of the agricultural product. The computational result shows that VaNSAS produces a 100 % optimal solution for small-size problem instances, while DE and GA produce a 63.63 % and 72.72 % optimal solution, respectively. For large-size problem instances, VaNSAS shows a profit that is higher than that of DE and GA by 10.53 % and 8.96 %, respectively, while it shows a makespan that is lower by 9.57 % and 7.20 %, respectively.

Problems and Countermeasures of China’s International Trade in Agricultural Products under the “Belt and Road Initiative”

To make China’s international trade in agricultural products develop more quickly and steadily, in this study, through the analysis of the development of international trade and the import and export of agricultural products under the strategy of “The Belt and Road (B&R),” in terms of agricultural products, the problems about the international trade in China are discussed. The results show that under the influence of “B&R,” China has established economic cooperation with many countries along the route. Even facing fierce international competition, it can promote the deep development of China’s international trade. Based on the discussion of the problems affecting the development of international trade of agricultural products in China, combined with the problems faced by the international development, in this study, the corresponding countermeasures are given, aiming to provide ideas for its future development. Therefore, the analysis of the development of international trade of agricultural products in China under the strategy of “B&R” has positive significance for finding the factors that affect the development of China’s agricultural products in international trade and also promoting the steady development of China’s international trade in agricultural products.

Problems and Countermeasures of China’s International Trade in Agricultural Products under the Belt and Road Strategy Based on Big Data Analysis Technology in the Internet of Things Era

In order to study the analysis of China’s trade development under big data technology, through the analysis of the import and export of trade, the expansion of international trade exports of agricultural products, the adjustment of agricultural structure, the enrichment of import and export markets, the security of agricultural products, and other issues through the Internet of things technology and traditional technology, as well as the comparison of the overall effect, comprehensive performance, and coupling data, it can be seen that the agricultural trade under Internet of things technology is more convenient and faster. The application of network technology makes things better connected with people, changes the previous way of life, speeds up the development process of international trade, and realizes the real intelligent era.

Impacts of international food and feed trade on nitrogen balances and nitrogen use efficiencies of food systems

International trade of agricultural products has greatly increased over time, but its impacts on sustainable development are debated. It may contribute to food security in importing countries, increases the dependency between countries, and has been implicated in displacement of environmental pollution and resource depletion. There is also discussion about the relationships between trade and nitrogen (N) balances and N use efficiencies (NUE). We explored relationships between changes in the trade of food and feed and in N balances and NUE of the food supply systems through simulation modeling and an analysis of empirical data of 115 countries (representing 91% of global population) for the period 1961–2011. In the empirical analysis, 64 main importing countries and 14 main exporting countries, were distinguished. Importing countries had on average a higher population density than exporting countries but rather similar protein intake and GDP per capita. The empirical analysis indicate that main importing countries had on average higher N fertilizer inputs to their food supply systems, and also higher N surpluses and higher NUE than main exporting countries. The overall mean NUE of the food supply system of main importing countries decreased with increasing import, but the relationships between import and NUE were diverse when these countries were grouped according to population density and GDP per capita. We compared N balances and partial N balances, and three methodologies commonly used for estimating NUE. We observed that NUE2 provides an unbiased estimate for both importing and exporting countries. Our study contributes to the understanding of the diverse relationships between international trade, N balances and NUE of food systems.

The Trade Effect of Trust: Evidence from Agricultural Trade between China and Its Partners

High trust is a booster of trade development, while low trust is a stumbling block. The trust between two countries (regions) will be beneficial to sustainable development for bilateral trade. To investigate the impact of trade partners’ trust on the scale of China’s agricultural export trade, we put trust into the analytical models of international trade, propose a research hypothesis based on the transaction cost economics theory, and construct an extended gravity model for empirical tests. The results show that the level of trust affects the scale of export trade by affecting the size of transaction costs. Higher trust produces trade creation effect, while lower trust produces trade barrier effect. The trade partner’s trust significantly affects the scale of China’s agricultural export trade, and the effect is heterogeneous at different percent quartiles. Even after controlling the endogeneity, the conclusion still holds. We suggest that, in the international trade of agricultural products, the government should constantly improve the quality of formal institution, attach importance to constructing of the informal institution of trust and enhance the social trust to facilitate the development of agricultural trade.

ANALYSIS OF PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF UKRAINE’S FOREIGN TRADE WITH EU COUNTRIES

The article analyzes the peculiarities of Ukraine’s foreign trade with other countries, including the EU countries. The development of foreign trade is important for the analysis of the economic situation of the country, reflects the attitude of the world’s countries to domestic production. The trajectory of foreign trade development is determined. It forms reserves for increasing the level of international trade relations and increases the competitiveness of Ukrainian production. The dynamics of changes in the geographical and commodity structure of international trade in goods and services during 2018-2020 is given, the share of the European Union in foreign trade, which is a key trading partner of Ukraine, is determined. The main groups of goods and services exported and imported by Ukraine are studied. The main reasons for the decrease in foreign trade turnover are substantiated. In addition, it was established that the main partner countries of Ukraine in international trade are China, Poland, the United States, Germany and the EU countries. The important component of Ukraine’s foreign trade is international trade in agricultural products. The article presents statistical data on the commodity structure of agricultural exports with the EU countries. Ukraine’s relations in the field of trade in agricultural products became important after the signing of the Association between Ukraine and the EU, which ensures the irreversibility of Ukraine’s European integration and it is priority for socially important reforms. It is studied that in order to improve Ukraine's foreign economic trade with the European Union, it is necessary to implement measures to modernize key export-oriented sectors of the economy, improve cooperation with other countries, pursue effective foreign economic policy, and strengthen the position of domestic manufacturers in foreign markets of goods and services. It is noted that cooperation with the European Union is one of the main priorities of Ukraine’s foreign economic policy. The article presents ways to improve Ukraine’s foreign trade and directions of improvement of foreign trade activity.

Food and feed trade has greatly impacted global land and nitrogen use efficiencies over 1961-2017.

International trade of agricultural products has complicated and far-reaching impacts on land and nitrogen use efficiencies. We analysed the productivity of cropland and livestock and associated use of feed and fertilizer efficiency for over 240 countries, and estimated these countries' cumulative contributions to imports and exports of 190 agricultural products for the period 1961-2017. Crop trade has increased global land and partial fertilizer nitrogen productivities in terms of protein production, which equalled savings of 2,270 Mha cropland and 480 Tg synthetic fertilizer nitrogen over the analysed period. However, crop trade decreased global cropland productivity when productivity is expressed on an energy (per calorie) basis. Agricultural trade has generally moved towards optimality, that is, has increased global land and nitrogen use efficiencies during 1961-2017, but remains at a relatively low level. Overall, mixed impacts of trade on resource use indicate the need to rethink trade patterns and improve their optimality.