The volume of foreign trade in the world. International Trade Indicators

* this work is not scientific work, is not graduation qualifying work and is the result of processing, structuring and formatting the collected information, intended to be used as a source of material for self-preparation of study papers.

Course work

on the global economy

Subject: " Features of modern world trade»

Introduction……………………………………………………………………
1. The concept of the world market and international trade……..….
1.1. Theoretical foundations of foreign trade……………..…..
1.2. World market………………………………………..……..
2. Russia and its place in the world market………….………………….
2.1 Structure foreign trade………………………………..
2.2 Place of Russia in the world market……………………………
2.3 The place of the military-industrial complex in the world market……………………………...
2.4 Prospects for Russia's foreign trade activities……...
3. Russia's entry into the WTO…………………..……………………...
3.1 The concept and structure of the WTO…………………………………...
3.2 Tasks of the WTO…………………………………………………...
3.3 Distinctive features WTO………………………………….
3.4 Stages and conditions for accession of new countries to the WTO……..
3.6 Positive and negative features of the entry Russia in the WTO……………………………………………………..
Conclusion……………………………..………………………………
Bibliography……….…………………………………………...
Applications……………………………………………………………...

Introduction

One of the most dominant factors in the modern world economy is the process of globalization, which is characterized by the cross-border movement of capital, international trade in goods and services, and labor migration. In turn, the foundation of the process of globalization of the world is geoeconomics as a new paradigm of the world order. It is based, according to experts, on reproductive systems that have escaped national boundaries and formed into gigantic global internationalized reproductive cycles.

The world trading system is also affected by transport and telecommunications technologies. As a result, the movement of raw materials, goods and services has accelerated; there have been qualitative changes in the financial markets. Now, within one trading day, capital can flow from country to country, from region to region, no matter how far apart they are. Transnational corporations were able to coordinate production in different parts of the world. Through electronic means international communications information and transport costs have been sharply reduced.

The driving force behind globalization is high science-intensive technologies that facilitate international exchange, lead to an increase in the share of exports and imports, and include the regional economy in the system of the global division of labor. This, in turn, leads to the general liberalization of foreign trade and money markets of various countries, to the internationalization of production and distribution networks, to the rapid and widespread adoption of technologies, thanks to which the international flows of goods, services and capital become unhindered and proceed at higher speeds. . The industrial production of the states involved in this process is undergoing reorganization, as the products of individual countries step over their borders, and enterprises enter the financial markets of the world. In the context of globalization, the structure of production and finance of various countries becomes interconnected and interdependent. The process is accompanied by an increase in the number of foreign transactions, and the effect is a new international division of labor, in which the creation of national wealth is more dependent on the economic entities of other countries 0 .

Openness and transparency of the economy, state and society are obvious attributes of modern economic development- caused fundamental changes in interstate cooperation in the world. The last two decades have seen a turning point: the old protectionist tendencies associated with the oil crisis have subsided, a process of gradual reduction in the size of customs barriers and a growing recognition of the need to liberalize international economic relations has unfolded.

Any state, if it wants to get the maximum benefit in the framework of modern economic relations, must pursue a balanced, rational external economic strategy. First, it is necessary that the liberalization of trade and financial turnover be carried out on the basis of the national interests of the country in accordance with bilateral and multilateral agreements. Secondly, the policy of increasing openness under new conditions is becoming more and more widespread - within the framework of integration unions, which include several countries.

The relevance of the chosen topic is due to the ever-increasing importance that it acquires in modern world trade, as well as the expanding processes of integration and globalization, in which Russia has recently taken an active part.

The purpose of this work is to analyze the features of modern world trade, the processes dominating in world trade and the impact these processes have on Russia. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve a number of tasks:

Give the concept of the world market and international trade.

Define theoretical basis foreign trade.

To reveal the place of Russia in the world market and determine the trends in the development of trade relations.

Indicate the place owned by world trade organizations in the process of world trade.

Define strategic paths development of Russia's foreign trade.

Consider the problems of Russia's accession to the WTO.

The object of consideration is the world market.

The subject of consideration is the prospects for Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO).

1. The concept of the world market and international trade

1.1. Theoretical foundations of foreign trade

The first and oldest form of international relations - people's trade, arose under the influence international division labor. The latter gave rise to the need for the exchange of goods produced in individual countries. In addition, practically no country has the necessary resources to fully satisfy the entire system of constantly evolving social needs. Trade in goods and services is available to almost everyone, even to underdeveloped countries: if they do not have goods that are in demand, ecologically clean recreation areas, exotic African and Pacific coasts are offered. As a result, foreign trade has become a public source of income for all countries and created additional conditions for economic growth. At the same time, countries find themselves in a certain dependence on each other. In order to better meet the needs of the population of their country, each of them buys imported goods and services.

International trade is an international exchange of products of labor (goods, services, intellectual property) of all countries of the world. International trade - the sphere of international commodity-money relations, the totality of foreign trade of all countries of the world 0 . It consists of two counter streams - exports and imports. The main participants in international trade: foreign trade companies (exporters and importers), states, groups of countries, as well as individuals.

Diverse international trade activities can be classified depending on the product specialization: trade in finished products; trade in goods that have undergone primary processing; trade in raw materials. The higher the level of development of the country, the less raw materials and more finished products the state exports.

Depending on the type of export-import operations, international trade activities can be classified:

Export and import of finished goods;

Import and export of raw materials and semi-finished products for processing with subsequent return to the country;

Temporary import or export of goods with subsequent return to the country (for example, to participate in international competitions, exhibitions, presentations);

Re-export and re-import (re-export - export abroad of goods previously imported into the country, for example, if the goods are not paid for, defective or resold to a third country; re-import - import from abroad of previously exported national goods);

Import and export of goods belonging to one international transnational company;

Countervailing trade;

Barter transactions on a non-currency basis (payment for goods occurs in kind with other goods);

Trade compensation transactions on a monetary basis (when part of the goods are paid for in money, and partly by a counter delivery of goods);

Industrial compensation transactions (for example, the supply of equipment for the production of goods will be paid for by the goods produced with its help).

To assess international and foreign trade, a group of indicators 0 is used:

1) trade turnover - the value of exports and imports for a certain period in current prices;

2) commodity structure - the ratio of different commodity groups in the structure of world exports;

3) geographical structure - the structure of world trade depending on the region of the world, part of the world, continent.

The first theoretical basis of foreign trade was the theory of mercantilists. It is based on the fundamental role of gold (money) and focuses on the maximum safety and increase in the amount of gold in the country. In this regard, it was recommended to stimulate exports and limit imports so as not to spend gold on buying goods outside the country. At the same time, bans were introduced on the trade of the colonies with all countries, except for the mother countries, on the development of production in the colonies. In fact, the mercantilists proposed enriching some at the expense of others, but their merit lies in the fact that they first drew attention to the problems of foreign trade, emphasized its importance for the economic development of the country, described and justified a certain ratio of export and import costs, i.e. e. laid the foundation for the balance of payments.

A. Smith developed the first classical theory of foreign trade - the theory of absolute advantages. He argued that those countries that actively participate in the international division of labor will benefit the most. A country that has certain advantages in the production of a commodity should specialize in the production of this commodity and supply it to other countries. This statement of A. Smith was supplemented by D. Ricardo, who created the theory of comparative advantages. He proved that foreign trade brings additional benefits even to those countries that have an efficient economy. Ricardo built his theory on the basis of labor theory cost. IN modern conditions comparative advantages are defined in terms of opportunity costs, i.e. the cost of producing one good is determined in terms of the cost of another good.

The Heckscher-Ohlin theory arose in the first third of the 20th century. In it, the factors that determine the international division of labor are associated not only with the natural conditions of production in the country, but also with the conditions created in the process of development of production. It proceeded from the fact that the historical and natural conditions of development predetermined the uneven provision of countries with factors of production, and, above all - labor resources and capital.

In the process of international trade, the prices for factors of production in the trading countries are equalized. Initially, the price of available factors of production will be low, and those that are scarce will be high. Gradually, the initial advantages of both countries are lost, and each country must look for new opportunities for exporting its products, improving production. This mechanism was substantiated by the American economist P. Samuelson, and therefore the theory of the ratio of production factors is often called the theory of Heckscher - Ohlin - Samuelson.

There are a lot of modern theories of foreign trade, in fact, each school and its individual areas offer their own points of view on this problem. The most common are the following 0:

Neotechnological theories try to explain foreign trade relations by the costs of research and development, the level of average wages and the proportion of skilled labor. They explain the emergence of advantages by a monopoly on individual discoveries and new technologies, which makes it possible to dominate the production of these goods and the world market until these technologies are mastered by other countries. Then new research is needed to produce new goods.

The theory of specific factors says that the different provision of individual countries with specific factors, i.e. factors that can be used only for the production of this product, leads to a further development of these factors in export industries and a reduction in industries that compete with imports.

The theory of the firm is associated with the strengthening of the role of individual firms and corporations in international trade. Ultimately, the comparative advantage is always received not by a nation, but by an individual firm exporting a given product. Technologically complex products are created by the company based on the needs and demand that exist within the country. Only after expanding production and saturating the domestic market, the company can enter the foreign market, in order to sell its products, it is necessary to find a buyer country whose demand structure in the domestic market would be as close as possible to the demand structure of the exporting country. This explains the possibility of trade transactions between countries at the same level of development, in particular, between developed industrial countries.

The theory of the international competitiveness of nations, developed by the American economist M. Porter, says that the place of each country and its specific producers in the world market is determined by the following four main conditions: the quantity and quality of various factors of production, demand conditions in the domestic market, the presence of related and service industries, firm strategy and internal competition.

1.2. World market

Relatively stable flows of movement of goods and services led to the emergence of a new form of commodity exchange - the world market. The modern world market is a sphere of stable commodity-money relations for the exchange of produced national products. The subjects of these relations can be states, individual organizations and enterprises, as well as individuals. As well as within the country, in the structure of the world market one can single out markets for goods and services, markets for labor, capital, and, in addition, markets for the achievements of science and technology. As part of the latter, information markets are becoming increasingly important in modern conditions. In addition, it is possible to single out individual markets on a regional basis - European, Asian, South American, Far Eastern, etc.

In order for a country to enter the world market, it needs to have export resources, i.e. stocks of competitive goods and services in demand, currency or other means of payment for imports, as well as a developed foreign trade infrastructure: vehicles, warehouses, means of communication, etc. Settlements for foreign trade operations are made by banking organizations, and the country's insurance business insures goods and transportation. Of course, if necessary, you can use the services of the infrastructure of other countries, but, as a rule, these are expensive services, and each country involved in the world market seeks to create its own infrastructure.

Two counter flows of goods and services form the exports and imports of each country. Export is the sale and export of goods abroad, import is the purchase and import of goods from abroad. The difference between the cost estimates of exports and imports forms the trade balance, and the sum of these estimates is the foreign trade turnover.

In the process of development, the world market has clearly identified two components: the market for basic goods and the market for finished products.

All developing countries, which specialize mainly in the export of raw materials and labor-intensive goods, trade in the market for basic goods. Here, Russia also sells the bulk of its exports. The competitiveness of such goods depends mainly on two factors: quality and production, transportation and storage costs. Since the quality of similar goods is approximately the same, the cost factor becomes a pricing factor. And as a result of price competition, the country that has higher labor productivity wins. wage better equipped or organized production. And the competition in this market is quite tough. In modern conditions, it is still increasing due to the fact that the share of this market in the total sales volume is decreasing, and the number of participants is increasing due to countries with economies in transition, and above all, the former Soviet republics.

The second segment of the world market is the finished goods market. At present, it is also stratified into three clearly defined levels: lower, middle and higher. The criterion for their selection was the level of manufacturability of products. At the lowest level of the market there is a trade ferrous metallurgy products, construction materials, textiles, garments, footwear and other light industry products. At the middle level, they trade in machine tools, vehicles, rubber and plastic products, products of basic chemistry and woodworking. At the highest level, aerospace equipment, automated office equipment, information technology, electronics, pharmaceutical products, precision and measuring instruments, and electrical equipment are sold. The markets of the last level are the most promising and develop at a much faster pace than others. Here there is a fierce competition between developed countries, building their economy on the highest achievements of modern scientific and technological revolution, and not interested in the appearance of new competitors in these markets.

Competitiveness in the world market is the ability of the state to create more wealth per unit of cost than rivals in the world market. When determining this indicator, 378 different criteria are taken into account, first of all - per capita income, inflation rate, foreign trade balance. The opinion of 21,000 heads of the world's largest companies is taken into account, as well as the availability of natural resources, means of communication, etc.

Foreign trade policy is a set of measures used by the state to regulate trade relations and relations with other countries. Historically, two types of foreign trade policy have been formed - protectionism and free trade. There is a constant peculiar rivalry between them, since both types have advantages and disadvantages, and depending on specific historical conditions, one of them prevails.

Protectionism is a policy of protecting the national producer and consumer. From the manufacturer's point of view, such measures are necessary to support newly created, young industries, protecting them from the competition of foreign firms that have certain advantages in this industry. But, protecting national producers, protectionism creates new problems: prices rise in the domestic market, demand and consumption are reduced. In addition, the absence of foreign competition reduces incentives to improve production, increases the privileges of individual industries and industries, and contributes to the development of stagnation in the economy. Protectionism uses customs duties and non-tariff barriers.

Free trade is based on non-intervention of the state in foreign trade. Supporters of the principles of free trade believe that the goals that protectionism sets for itself are too expensive for countries, and through free trade they can be achieved at a lower cost. Despite this, free trade in its pure form is rarely used in practice. Each country builds its policy on a combination of these and other methods, taking into account the tasks of its development.

The modern world market is a complex system that is constantly changing depending on the demand and supply of goods and services. Therefore, the first distinguishing feature of the modern market is its dynamism. The second feature is a change in the balance of power. Whereas previously the United States dominated world exports, now Western Europe is participating in the struggle for supremacy, followed by Japan and the "new industrial states" of Southeast Asia. The third feature is the formation of large regional trade blocs. There are 9 of them: European Union (EU), North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay), Committee of South Africa Development (SADC), West African Economic and Monetary Union (WEMUA), Andean Pact.

2. Russia and its place in the world market

2.1 Structure of foreign trade

Foreign trade is currently one of the most important sectors of the Russian economy, since it is it that determines the dynamics of many macroeconomic parameters. The structure of Russia's foreign trade is determined by the following factors0:

The division of the national economy, depending on competitiveness in the foreign and domestic markets, into 3 groups of industries:

a) resource industries that are competitive in the foreign market (oil, gas, timber, diamond industries, partly energy, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy);

b) branches of the manufacturing industry that are competitive in the domestic and partly in the foreign market (aerospace, nuclear industry, partly power engineering, heavy machine tool building, etc.);

c) industries that are unable to enter the foreign market, but are necessary for the domestic market (automotive industry, agricultural engineering, light and food industries, production of building materials).

2.2 Russia's place in the world market

Russia is only gaining its place in the world market. This is a lengthy process in which everything is important: both the characteristics of the country entering the market and the characteristics of the market itself. At present, Russia trades only in the market of basic goods, selling raw materials and energy carriers (Table 1). With some goods, Russia may also appear in certain markets for finished goods, but it is still too early to talk about gaining a strong position in these markets, especially if we are talking about their upper level. The two lower levels are more accessible, although even there there is fierce competition between trading countries. Non-price competition methods prevail here. First of all, the quality of goods competes, the constant expansion and updating of the range of products offered, the development of design, the improvement of consumer properties predetermined a steady demand only for the best samples of goods. The production of such goods in Russia for the world market, as a rule, is impossible.

Table 1

Foreign trade of Russia in 2004 0

Structure	million USD	in % to 2003	in % of the total
energy goods,
crude oil
metals and products from them, including:
ferrous metals and products from them
non-ferrous metals and products from them
wood and pulp and paper products
machinery, equipment and vehicles
food products and agricultural raw materials for their production
products chemical industry, rubber

2.3 The place of the military-industrial complex in the world market

The greatest opportunity to conquer the finished goods market is given by the conversion of the military-industrial complex (MIC), whose industries possess high technologies, productive fixed assets, and have a high personnel and scientific and technical potential. Military-industrial complex enterprises, even in the conditions of a closed economy, maintained contacts with foreign firms, participated in international exhibitions and auctions, therefore, they have some experience of international competition. All this creates a real opportunity to occupy a certain niche in the finished goods market.

2.4 Prospects for Russia's foreign trade activities

In general, assessing the prospects for Russia's foreign trade, it is expected that the growth rate of foreign trade turnover with non-CIS countries in 2004-2006. will be in the range of 96.2-108.1%, including exports - 89.1-106.2%, imports - 107.2-111.9 percent 0 . Table 2 shows the main forecast indicators.

table 2

The main indicators of the forecast of the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation until 2006

Index consumer prices, December to December, in %
Gross domestic product, in % to prev. year
I option
II option
Industrial output, in % of the previous year
I option
II option
Investments in fixed capital at the expense of all sources of financing, in % to the previous year
I option
II option
Export - total, billion US dollars
I option
II option
Import - total, billion US dollars
I option
II option

Option I is based on a scenario that is based on relatively stable, but somewhat less favorable external and internal conditions compared to the current period, and also takes into account the possibility of a worsening commodity situation on international markets.

Option II assumes a rather favorable combination of external and internal conditions: relative stability of the exchange rate, improvement of trade and political conditions for access of domestic goods to foreign markets, successful completion of negotiations on accession to the WTO, improvement of the global general economic and commodity situation in the main positions of Russian exports.

That. the strategic direction of Russia's foreign trade policy is the country's integration into the world economic community. Russia's position on this issue is unequivocal and consistent: Russia should join the World Trade Organization as soon as possible, but this process should take place on standard conditions equal to those of other WTO member countries.

3. Russia's accession to the WTO

3.1 The concept and structure of the WTO

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was founded in 1995. It is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), concluded in 1947.

The WTO is both an organization and a complex legal documents defining the rights and obligations of governments in the field of international trade in goods and services (appendix). The right basis of the WTO is 0:

1. General Agreement on Trade in Goods (GATT) as amended in 1994.

2. General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).

3. Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

3.2 Tasks of the WTO

The main tasks of the WTO are the liberalization of international trade, ensuring its fairness and predictability, creating a favorable environment for economic growth and improving the economic well-being of people.

3.3 Distinctive features of the WTO

The World Trade Organization has the following characteristics:

1. The WTO is, first and foremost, an organization created to promote freer international trade. WTO actions are aimed at removing trade barriers between countries.

2. The WTO is not any supreme body whose decisions are binding on the governments of all member countries of this organization.

3. WTO member countries agree among themselves on international trade issues, but subject to WTO rules.

4. Membership in the WTO does not prohibit the establishment of customs duties on certain types of goods. However, the usual amount of such duties does not exceed an average of 5-7%.

5. The WTO is a democratic organization where decisions are made by consensus and only in exceptional cases (and such were only in GATT practice) - by majority vote.

6. All WTO member countries are equal, regardless of their size and level of economic development.

7. The WTO agreements contain provisions that allow the governments of the participating countries to take measures to protect the environment, to protect the life and health of people, animals and plants.

3.4 Stages and conditions for accession of new countries to the WTO

The procedure for joining the World Trade Organization, developed over half a century of GATT/WTO existence, is multifaceted and consists of several stages. As the experience of applicant countries shows, this process takes an average of 5-7 years. All the accession procedures listed below fully apply to Russia.

At the first stage, within the framework of special Working Groups (the WG on Russia's accession to the WTO includes 67 countries, including all major trading partners), a detailed consideration at the multilateral level of the economic mechanism and trade and political regime of the acceding country is carried out for their compliance with the rules and regulations of the WTO. After that, consultations and negotiations begin on the conditions for the applicant country's membership in this organization. These consultations and negotiations are usually held on a bilateral level with all interested WG member countries.

First of all, the negotiations relate to "commercially significant" concessions that the acceding country will be ready to provide to WTO members on access to its markets (fixed in the bilateral Protocols on access to markets for goods and services), as well as on the format and timing of the assumption of obligations under the Agreements. arising from WTO membership (formulated in the Report of the Working Group).

In turn, the acceding country, as a rule, receives the rights that all other WTO members have, which will practically mean the end of its discrimination in foreign markets. (Although, for example, China was not able to obtain all these rights in full). In case of illegal actions on the part of any member of the organization, any country will be able to file a corresponding complaint with the Dispute Settlement Body (DRB), whose decisions are binding for unconditional execution at the national level by each member of the WTO.

In accordance with the established procedure, the results of all negotiations on the liberalization of market access and the terms of accession are formalized in the following official documents 0:

The report of the Working Group, which sets out the entire package of rights and obligations that the applicant country will assume as a result of the negotiations;

List of obligations for tariff concessions in the field of goods and by level of support Agriculture;

the List of Specific Obligations for Services and the List of Exemptions from the MFN;

Protocol on accession, legally formalizing the agreements reached at the bilateral and multilateral levels.

One of the main conditions for the accession of new countries to the WTO is to bring their national legislation and practice of regulating foreign economic activity in line with the provisions of the package of agreements of the Uruguay Round.

At the final stage of accession, the national legislative body of the applicant country ratifies the entire package of documents agreed within the framework of the Working Group and approved by the General Council. After that, these obligations become part of the WTO documents and national legislation, and the candidate country itself receives the status of a WTO member.

In 1993, Russia formally applied to join the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and in accordance with the procedures, a Working Group on Russia's accession to the GATT was established, which was transformed after the establishment in 1995 of the World Trade Organization (WTO) into Working Group on the Accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO (WG). The mandate of the WG is to study the trade regime and develop the conditions for Russia's participation in the WTO.

The negotiation process for Russia's accession to the WTO began in 1995. At the first stage, it was focused on the consideration at the multilateral level within the framework of the WG of the trade and political regime of Russia with a view to its compliance with WTO norms.

After the presentation in 1998 of the initial Russian proposals for market access for goods and proposals for the level of support for agriculture, negotiations began at the bilateral level. In 1999, the WTO members received the first version of the List of Specific Obligations for Access to the Services Market and the draft List of Most Favored Nation Exemptions (MFN). Since 2000, negotiations have become full-scale, that is, they cover all aspects of Russia's accession.

As part of the accession process, the Russian delegation is negotiating in four areas, and they are based on documents and negotiation proposals approved by the Government of the Russian Federation.

1. Negotiations on tariff issues. The goal is to determine the maximum level (“binding”) of import customs duty rates for the entire Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity, the right to which Russia will receive after joining the WTO.

Currently, about 90% of tariff positions have been agreed with partners. Among the problematic areas where agreement between the parties has not yet been found are a number of agricultural products, aircraft, cars, furniture, etc.

2. Negotiations on agricultural issues, in addition to the tariff aspect, include a discussion of the acceptable volumes of domestic state support for the agricultural sector (AMS) within the so-called "yellow" box (subsidies to be reduced) and the level of export subsidies for agricultural products and food. Consideration of these issues, as a rule, takes place at multilateral consultations with the participation of members of the quadro group (USA, EU, Japan, Canada), the countries of the Cairn Group (leading liberal-minded exporters of agricultural products) and other interested states. These negotiations are extremely complex.

The last round of consultations on agriculture took place on 21 June 2005 in Geneva. The Russian side, in response to numerous requests from the WG member countries, provided data on the volume of domestic support in 2001-2003. in the format required by the WTO. At the same time, Russia's position on the permitted volumes of state support remained unchanged (representative period 1993-1995 with the amount of support of 9.5 billion dollars).

3. Negotiations on access to the market for services are aimed at agreeing on the conditions for the access of foreign services and service providers to Russian market. Negotiations are most acute in such sensitive sectors as financial, "energy" and telecommunications, access to which is of particular commercial interest to the leading members of the WTO. In addition, some countries are interested in improving the conditions for access to the Russian market for individuals - service providers (India, Canada, Switzerland).

As a result of the completed negotiations, Russia agreed to assume obligations in about 100 service sectors (out of 155 sectors provided for by the WTO classification). In some cases, the position of Russia provides for more stringent conditions for the work of foreign suppliers in the Russian market compared to the conditions provided for by the current legislation. This position will allow, if necessary, to use additional tools to protect national suppliers from foreign competition in the future.

4. Negotiations on systemic issues are devoted to determining the measures that Russia will have to take in the field of legislation and its enforcement in order to fulfill its obligations as a WTO member.

3.6 Positive and negative features of Russia's accession to the WTO

It is necessary to be aware that WTO accession has both a number of advantages for Russia and several inevitable disadvantages, the negative impact of which our government seeks to minimize during the negotiation process.

First of all, Russia will be limited in the use of instruments of state regulation of economic exchanges and subsidies. In addition, the ability to protect the domestic market of goods and services from foreign competition will be limited to four instruments, such as an export tariff, anti-dumping, protective and countervailing tariffs.

Undoubtedly, positive aspects include, first of all, the introduction into Russian legislation of stable, predictable rules of the game and uniform approaches to the application of mechanisms for regulating foreign economic activity. The extension of these rules to Russia will increase its investment attractiveness for foreign investors and make the economic and legal climate more predictable for Russian economic entities. Of course, this process will require certain changes to the current legislation.

Secondly, although not immediately, the conditions for access to world markets for Russian goods and services will improve significantly. This should have a positive impact on the economic activity of Russian enterprises, and, as a result, on the income of the Russian budget. In addition, Russia will gain access to the mechanism for resolving trade conflicts and the right to participate in the development of new rules for international trade.

It is also necessary to mention the creation of better conditions for integration within the CIS, strengthening the role of the Federation in relations with the subjects on economic issues, creating optimal starting conditions for starting negotiations on Russia's accession to the Common European Economic Space.

At the same time, it should be taken into account that for potential Russian partners According to the WTO, the benefits from Russia's accession to this organization are realized almost immediately, and for Russian producers - over a rather long period of time 0 .

All members of the WTO assume obligations to implement the main agreements and legal documents, united under the name "multilateral trade agreements". Thus, from a legal point of view, the WTO system is a kind of multilateral contract, the rules and regulations of which govern over 92% of all world trade in goods and services. Russia's obligations in the event of accession to the WTO are partly contained in Russia's international agreements: the Partnership Agreement with the EU, the Energy Charter Treaty, agreements on the protection and promotion of investment. It should be noted that a significant part of these general obligations coincides with the norms of national legislation.

In addition, there are a number of additional obligations. They relate, for example, to “freezing” import tariffs and limiting agricultural subsidies. It is these commitments that are the subject of negotiations. The parties involved in the negotiations with Russia are discussing the level of tariff protection of the goods market and the level of protection of the services market.

The main problem of Russia's accession to the WTO is, first of all, the removal of restrictions on the supply of goods from abroad, in a sense, restrictions on competition from foreign companies. This will lead to the fact that domestic producers may not be able to compete on an equal footing with both very high-quality Western products and very cheap Chinese ones. Another thing is that this process will take place gradually (which is why such long negotiations are underway), and our enterprises will have time to adapt to new conditions.

Therefore, experts believe that, despite increased competition from foreign manufacturers when Russia joins the WTO, the impact of this event on the domestic industry will not be very significant or catastrophic, although each enterprise will have to take care of itself and increase the efficiency of its own work.

Conclusion

Foreign trade is the main form of world economic relations. In terms of dynamics and value indicators, it is ahead of the growth of world production, the movement of capital and other types of foreign economic relations, which is one of the most important characteristics of the modern world economy. The growth rates of international export-import operations exceed the growth rates of the main segments of world production, incl. industrial goods, minerals and agricultural products.

The increasing importance of trade in the world economy, as well as its intensive development, are due to the objective process of globalization and the increased interdependence of most countries of the world. Significant progress in the development of the international division of labor contributed to the intensification of world commodity exchange.

In the field of trade exchange, international regimes and multilateral agreements were developed within the framework of the WTO, an international organization operating on the basis of a multilateral agreement that establishes the principles and rules of world trade. The activities of the WTO are aimed at the liberalization of export-import operations and, in particular, at the reduction and elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers.

The significant liberalization of the foreign trade policy of the developing countries, the expansion of the scale of trade between them, and, in addition, the preservation of a favorable conjuncture in the markets of industrial products in many developing and developed industrial countries, contributed to a further increase in international trade. The revolution in the field of information technologies and means of communication.

In recent years, there have been significant changes in the structure of world trade. In particular, the share of communication and information technology services has increased significantly, while the share of trade in commodities and agricultural products has been declining.

Certain changes are also taking place in the geographical distribution of world trade. The trade of developing countries is gradually growing, but the volume of goods flows from the newly industrialized countries is growing at an especially rapid pace.

Among the countries with economies in transition, China's foreign trade is developing more dynamically, which allowed the country to enter the top ten largest trading powers in the world. At the same time, there is still a significant part of the world trade turnover - about a third of the world's export-import operations are accounted for by the leading industrialized countries (USA, Germany and Japan). France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, and Belgium are among the largest trading countries in the world.

Today, the question of the place that we want to occupy in the emerging world order is becoming more and more obvious. The question of Russia's place requires an answer to two other questions: what are the contours of the emerging world order and what is the country's "starting position" for participation in world processes. Both the scenario of a constructive inclusion of the post-industrial world in the new cooperation, and the transformation into an outsider country, one of the leaders of resistance to globalization, are possible. In many ways, the choice depends on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Today, there are two extreme points of view on the problem of the country's accession to the WTO. Supporters of liberalism insist on immediate accession to the WTO on any terms. Supporters of protectionism argue that Russian business today is uncompetitive and entry into the WTO will stifle domestic enterprises.

1) the reduction of restrictions in international trade will lead to cheaper imports, which is beneficial both for Russian enterprises using imported raw materials and components, and for Russian citizens purchasing imported goods;

2) the possibility of legal protection of domestic producers under the laws of the World Trade Organization;

3) the opening of the economy and the stabilization of Russian foreign trade and general economic legislation will contribute to the development of international economic relations and the investment process in Russia;

4) Russian enterprises - exporters will get more opportunities to access foreign markets.

However, when joining the WTO, difficulties may arise:

1) some sectors (agriculture, aviation industry) and individual enterprises may not be able to compete with foreign enterprises, unemployment will increase, production will decline;

2) it will be difficult for Russian banks to compete with foreign commercial banks, which have large and relatively cheap resources (interest on deposits and, accordingly, loans abroad is much lower than in Russia);

3) there will be difficulties in maintaining the Customs Union with the CIS countries, since this is in conflict with the WTO charter;

4) the ability of the state to regulate foreign economic activity will decrease;

5) the weakening of direct state regulation of domestic energy prices can lead to a significant increase in production costs and a drop in the competitiveness of domestic enterprises.

An analysis of the potential benefits and threats of Russia's accession to the WTO allows us to draw the following conclusions:

1) it is necessary to ensure an overall positive quantitative and qualitative balance of national interests;

2) bankruptcy of individual branches of the national economy must not be allowed;

3) it is advisable to provide a mechanism for protecting the national financial and banking system;

4) a sharp increase in energy prices should not be allowed, as required by the WTO negotiators;

5) it is necessary to coordinate the activities of all levels of government to prepare the Russian economy for accession to the WTO.

Bibliography

1. Forecast of the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation for 2004 and the main parameters of the forecast up to 2006, Moscow, July 2003

2. Galitskaya S.V. "Money. Credit. Finance" - M.: "Exam", 2004 - 224 p.

3. Lizogub A.N., Simonenko V.I. "Economic theory" - M.: "Prior-izdat", 2004 - 128 p.

4. Makeeva T.V. "Macroeconomics" - M .: "Exam", 2004 - 128 p.

5. Economics in Questions and Answers, ed. I.P. Nikolaeva - M .: TK Velby, Prospekt Publishing House, 2004 - 336 p.

6. Simonov Yu.F., Nosko B.P., Guiliano A.A. " World economy and international economic relations"- Rostov n / a: "Phoenix", 2004 - 160 p.

7. I.Z. Farkhutdinov, "Globalization and Geoeconomics: New Legal Paradigms of the World Order", "Legislation and Economics", No. 4, April 2004

9. D.A. Komolov "Pros and cons of joining the WTO, interview with Alexei Kudrin" The Russian economy: XXI century, April 2001

10. Website of the World Trade Organization http://www.wto.ru

Application

Multilateral agreements on trade in goods within the WTO

Name of the agreement	Short description
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT-94)
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1947.	Defines the fundamentals of the regime for trade in goods, the rights and obligations of WTO members in this area
Agreement on agriculture.	Defines the features of the regulation of trade in agricultural goods and the mechanisms for applying measures of state support for production and trade in this sector.
Agreement on textiles and clothing	Defines the features of regulation of trade in textiles and clothing
Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Norms.	Determines the conditions for the application of sanitary and phytosanitary control measures
Agreement on technical barriers to trade.	Defines the conditions for the application of standards, technical regulations, certification procedures
Agreement on investment measures related to trade.	Contains restrictions on the application of measures that encourage the consumption of domestic goods in connection with investment
Agreement on the Application of Article VII of GATT 1994 (Customs Valuation of Goods).	Defines the rules for assessing the customs value of goods
Agreement on pre-shipment inspection.	Defines the conditions for conducting pre-shipment inspections
Agreement on rules of origin.	Defines the principles of origin of goods
Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures.	Establishes import licensing procedures and forms
Agreement on subsidies and compensatory measures.	Defines the conditions and procedures for the application of subsidies and measures aimed at combating subsidies
Agreement on the Application of Article VI of GATT 1994 (anti-dumping).	Defines the conditions and procedures for the application of measures to counteract dumping
Safeguard Agreement.	Defines the conditions and procedures for applying measures to counter growing imports

0 I.Z. Farkhutdinov, "Globalization and Geoeconomics: New Legal Paradigms of the World Order", "Legislation and Economics", No. 4, April 2004

0 Simonov Yu.F., Nosko B.P., Guiliano A.A. "World Economy and International Economic Relations" - p.80

0 Galitskaya S.V. "Money. Credit. Finance" - p. 87

0 "Economics in questions and answers" ed. I.P. Nikolaeva - p. 233

0 Makeeva T.V. "Macroeconomics" p.91

0 Forecast of the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation for 2004 and the main parameters of the forecast up to 2006, Moscow, July 2003 - p. 101

0 World Trade Organization website http://www.wto.ru

0 Lizogub A.N., Simonenko V.I. "Economic theory" - p.87

0 D.A. Komolov "Pros and cons of joining the WTO, interview with Alexei Kudrin" The Russian economy: XXI century, April 2001

International trade is considered as a special type of economic relations between states arising from the exchange of goods and services. These relations are universal and objective, although the influence of the subjective factor on development and specific forms is significant.

The need for the existence of international trade is caused by:

uneven provision of countries with economic resources;

differences in production efficiency in different countries (the theory of relative and absolute advantages).

The role of the international is different for different states:

states for which participation in international trade is inevitably necessary (countries with a limited resource base and a narrow domestic market);

countries for which participation in international trade is important, but not decisive (countries with a rich resource base and a capacious domestic market);

countries with a closed economy, where the volume of export-import operations is limited.

Dependence is typical for all countries: the more capacious the domestic market is, the smaller the share of foreign trade operations and dependence on international trade.

International trade has certain specific features:

it acts as a substitute for international resource mobility. Mobility is different in both domestic and foreign markets. If material, labor and other factors of production cannot move freely between states, this deficiency is made up for by the movement of goods and services;

international trade is mediated by the sale and purchase of currencies;

international trade is used as a means of political pressure between countries;

dynamism in development;

the development and placement of international commodity flows is associated with various financial and budgetary policies of the state;

non-equivalence of exchange, manifested in two directions:

in West-South trade due to price scissors for finished products and raw materials (most often, prices for finished products are overstated, and raw materials are underestimated);

between economically developed countries, that is, between the most powerful and less developed states.

Non-equivalence is determined by various factors:

different levels of technological maturity of farms;

different levels of labor productivity and quality of labor resources;

the scale of sectoral regional disproportions, etc.

Functions of international trade:

bringing goods from the producer to the consumer;

change of forms of ownership;

the material embodiment of the social division of labor between economically isolated producers of goods and services, as a result of which the world price is determined;

informational (collects, processes and issues information to direct producers at the micro level about the socially necessary labor costs and the quality of manufactured goods;

maintaining the mechanism of competition;

promoting the development of scientific and technological revolution in each country and on a global scale.

4. Main indicators of the degree of development and the role of international trade in the country's economy

In the system of indicators, general and particular are distinguished.

Export - export outside the customs border of goods and services for sale on the foreign market. Exports are considered goods produced in the country, and goods imported into the country and processed in it. A special form of export is re-export, that is, the export of previously imported goods that have not been processed in this country.

Import - the importation of goods and services for their sale in the domestic market. The volume of imports includes re-import, that is, the return export from abroad of domestic goods that have not undergone processing.

For the valuation of exports and imports, the statistical value of goods is used, determined by the prices of contracts by bringing them to a single basis: for exports to the prices of WCT, for imports to the prices of CIP. The concepts of WCT and SIP are defined in accordance with the International Rules for the Interpretation of Trade Terms "Incoterms".

Foreign trade turnover characterizes the volume of foreign trade of the country and is the sum of the value of exports and imports. Calculated according to the formula

WTo \u003d E + I

where WTO - foreign trade turnover;

E - the value of exports;

And - the value of imports.

Balance of foreign trade turnover characterizes the state of the foreign trade balance and represents the difference in the value of exports and imports. Calculated according to the formula:

VTS \u003d E - I

where BTC is the balance of foreign trade turnover.

When exports exceed imports, they speak of a positive balance of foreign trade, and vice versa, when imports exceed exports, they speak of a negative balance.

Trade balance index x characterizes the balance of foreign trade, is determined through the ratio of the value of exports and imports. Calculated according to the formula

I= E / I

where I is the trade balance index.

Index tradingdependencies, measured as the ratio of the total volume of foreign trade (export + import) to its gross domestic product, characterizes the country's involvement in international trade.

Ih \u003d E + I / GDP

where Ifrom – indicator of trade dependence of the country ,

GDP is gross domestic product.

A country's trade dependence can be influenced by various factors. For example, low trade dependence may be the result of significant trade restrictions, or it may mean that supply-side manufacturing sectors are a major contributor to a country's GDP. Trade dependence of individual countries can exceed 100%. This reflects that countries are primarily involved in transit trade - that is, they are intermediate points on the way of the movement of goods from the country of production to the country of consumption.

Terms of trade- the ratio of export and import prices in the country as a whole (group of countries) or for a specific product in a specific product market. The terms of trade index is an index expressing the ratio of the average export price index to the average import price index.

It =Ice /Iqi

where It is an indicator of the terms of trade;

Ice - index of average prices for exported goods;

Iqi is the index of average prices for imported goods.

If the index is equal to 1, then this means that in the reporting period the terms of trade remained at the level of the base period; the index is less than 1 - the terms of trade turned out to be unfavorable and inefficient; the index is greater than 1 - the conditions for conducting foreign trade in the reporting period have improved.

Export elasticity– change in the supply of goods for export depending on changes in the terms of trade.

Elasticity of imports– change in demand for imports resulting from changes in the terms of trade.

Export quota represents the share of exports in gross domestic product. Shows what part of the manufactured products is sold through international trade channels. Allows you to assess the degree of openness of the country's economy to the world economy. Calculated according to the formula.

Ke \u003d E / GDP * 100

where Ke is the export quota.

Reasons determining the size of the export quota:

Country size (large and small countries). The following dependence is observed: the more capacious the domestic market is, the less the share of foreign trade operations and the dependence on international trade. Countries with rich resource bases and large domestic markets tend to have smaller export quotas than countries with limited resources. At the same time, the absolute size of exports of a large country will significantly exceed that of a small country.

The level of economic development of the country. The more developed the country's economy, the more it is involved in the international division of labor, which means an increase in the need for the mutual exchange of goods and services. High level the efficiency of national production provides competitive advantages in the foreign market, which also contributes to the growth of exports and export quotas.

Participation in integration economic groupings. The implementation of joint comprehensive development programs, the deepening of intra-industry specialization, especially in technology, the weakening or absence of customs barriers determine the upward trend in the export quota compared to non-participating countries.

Import quota represents the share of imports in gross domestic product. It characterizes the role of imports in the formation of a product offer in the domestic market through the ratio of goods imported and produced in the country. Allows you to assess the dependence of the national economy on the world economy. Calculated according to the formula

Ki = I / GDP * 100

where Ki is the import quota.

This indicator can be calculated both for the national economy as a whole and for individual industries. Most often calculated on commodities, food and finished products. The value of the import quota depends mainly on the provision of the country with its own natural factors and the structure of production. Quantitative indicators of export and import quotas may not coincide, because:

Imports most often do not equal exports;

not all GDP is consumed in the same year;

there may be differences in the dynamics of world prices and the commodity structure of exports and imports of a given country.

The indicator performs the same function. foreign trade quota. The foreign trade quota is calculated by the formula

kW = ½ (E + I) / GDP * 100

where KW is the foreign trade quota.

There are several definitions of international trade. But two of them reflect the essence of this concept best of all:

• In a broad sense, MT is a system international relations in the sphere of the exchange of goods and services, as well as raw materials and capital, which consists in the conduct of foreign trade operations by one country with other states (import and export) and is regulated by accepted international norms.
• In a narrow sense, this is the total trade turnover of all world states or only a part of countries united on a certain basis.

Clearly, without MT, countries would be limited to consuming those goods and services that are produced exclusively within their own borders. Therefore, participation in world trade brings states the following "advantages":

• Through export earnings, the country accumulates capital, which can then be directed to industrial development domestic market;
• the growth of export supplies entails the need to create new places for workers, which leads to greater employment;
• international competition leads to progress, i.e. causes the need to improve production, equipment, technologies;

Each individual state, as a rule, has its own specialization. So, in certain countries, agricultural production is especially developed, in others - mechanical engineering, in still others - the food industry. Therefore, MT makes it possible not to create an overabundance of domestically produced goods, but to exchange them (or money from their sale) for other necessary products of importing countries.

MT Forms

Trade and financial relations between states are in constant dynamics. Therefore, in addition to the usual trading operations, when the moments of purchase and payment for goods coincide, there are also modern forms of MT:

• tenders (auctions) are, in fact, international competitions to attract foreign companies to perform production work, provide engineering services, training of employees of enterprises, as well as tenders for the purchase of equipment, etc.
• leasing - when production equipment is leased to users of other states for a long-term lease;
• exchange trade - trade transactions are concluded between countries on commodity exchanges;
• countertrade - when, in international trade transactions, instead of paying in money, the delivery of products of the buyer state should be made;
• license trade - the sale of licenses to countries for the use of trademarks, inventions, industrial innovations;
• auction trade - a method of selling goods with individual valuable properties in the form of public auction, which is preceded by a preliminary inspection.

MT regulation

MT regulation can be divided into state (tariff and non-tariff) and regulation through international agreements.

Tariff methods are, in fact, the application of duties levied on the transport of goods across the border. They are established in order to restrict imports and therefore reduce competition from foreign manufacturers. Export duties are used less often. Non-tariff methods, for example, include quotas or licensing.

Of particular importance to the MoT are international agreements and regulatory organizations such as the GAAT and the WTO. They define the fundamental principles and rules of international trade, which each participating country must adhere to.

One of characteristic features international trade throughout the post-war period is its growth at a rate 1.5 times higher than the growth rate of world production, which indicates its importance for the development and growth of the world economy as a whole.

In modern conditions of dominance in the world economy of transnational companies, characterized by significant volumes of capital export in the form of foreign direct investment, new factors for the development of international trade are emerging. The strengthening of the role of the export of capital not only does not lead to a reduction in trade in goods, but, on the contrary, contributes to the growth of international trade.

Investments of foreign capital in the economies of other countries are carried out, as a rule, in export industries, which increases the degree of specialization of these countries in the world economy, leads to an increase in the supply of their goods to the world market. In addition, the export of capital itself, especially in entrepreneurial form, entails the export of goods, as it is associated with the supply of means of production for enterprises created abroad.

International trade is currently a dynamically developing subsystem of the world economy, the stable and sustainable growth of which was influenced by factors such as:

• – deepening of the international division of labor, internationalization and globalization of production;
• - transnational competition, contributing to the renewal of fixed capital, the creation of new sectors of the economy, accelerating the reconstruction of old ones;
• – liberalization of international trade through its regulation by the World Trade Organization (WTO);
• – active activity of transnational companies in the world market;
• - increasing the scale of foreign direct investment, contributing to the strengthening of the export potential of the host countries and the growth of international trade;
• – development of trade and economic integration processes: elimination of regional barriers, formation of free trade zones, common markets and so on.;
• - the dynamic development of some developing countries, the emergence of new industrial countries from among them with an economic model oriented to the external market;
• - the transfer by economically developed countries of many types of production to peripheral countries, contributing to the intensification of exchange between these groups of countries.

The current stage of development of international trade is determined by the features that characterize it as one of the most actively developing subsystems of the world economy:

• - the accelerated growth of international trade after the Second World War;
• - the predominant growth of the foreign trade sphere in comparison with the general rates of economic development of countries;
• - dominance of the share developed countries in the export and import of goods;
• - active expansion and increase in the volume of foreign trade of the states included in the integration economic associations;
• - uneven development of foreign trade of individual countries;
• - increase in the share of developing countries in international trade;
• - a significant expansion of the range of goods entering the channels of international trade (diversification of international trade);
• - an increase in the share of manufacturing products and a reduction in the share of raw materials;
• - the predominance of industrial countries in the export of manufactured goods;
• – reduction in the share of raw materials and mineral fuels in the total value of world exports, mainly due to the share of raw materials;
• - reducing the share of food in world trade;
• - multidirectional movement of prices for industrial goods, on the one hand, and for raw materials, fuel and foodstuffs- with another;
• - leading in the field of foreign trade activities of transnational companies, becoming the main subjects of international trade;
• - the confrontation between the principles of free trade and protectionism in the foreign trade activities of countries;
• – development of countertrade on a barter or clearing basis;
• – high concentration of international trade in the group of the first ten most developed countries (more than 50% of the total trade volume);
• - the excess of the growth rate of international trade in services over the corresponding growth rate of trade in goods.

Industrialized countries dominate world trade, accounting for 70% of world exports and 71% of imports. The export of developing countries is estimated at 21%, as for the export of countries with economies in transition, it is only 9%.

Industrialized countries trade predominantly with each other, as about 80% of imports and exports are accounted for by this group.

On the other hand, the economies of developing countries are 2/3 dependent on imports from the industrialized group of countries and exports to their markets. Only 26% of their imports and exports are carried out within this group of countries.

The relative importance of the European Union, the United States and Japan is evident in both imports and exports. Among developing countries, Asia is responsible for more than ¼ of imports and exports, while the Western Hemisphere and the Middle East account for 14% or less. Overall, developing countries account for 25% of world trade.

Comparative analysis shows that the importance of Europe, North America, Japan and Southeast Asia in world trade is beyond doubt.

The world's largest traders are Germany and the United States. Japan, France, UK, Italy and Germany account for about 50% world trade. Also enjoying impressive growth in trade are the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, China and Singapore, which this moment took positions in the list of 17 world traders. In conclusion, it can be noted that the 10 largest countries account for more than 60% of world trade, the remaining 40% of trade - for 160 other countries.

Even sadder is the fact that the 100 smallest trading countries account for less than 15% of all world trade.

Considering commodity structure world trade, we can say that finished products account for 70% of international trade, the rest is raw materials.

Among the raw materials, the share of fuel is the largest - 9.8%; followed by food - 9.6%; trade in raw materials, ore, metals is 7.6%.

Automotive products are the main commodity group - they account for 10% of world trade.

Trade in chemicals is 8.6%; textiles, clothing and various consumer goods - 13%.

It should be noted that the share of trade is currently growing. finished goods and the share of trade in raw materials is decreasing.

This applies in particular to developing countries whose trade has traditionally been concentrated in raw materials. It is difficult for developing countries to hope to succeed through their growth in world trade. The advantages fall to the share of countries engaged in the export of manufactured goods.

The volume of international trade in the first 40 years of the 20th century doubled, and over the next 60 years - about 30 times. At the same time, its growth rate for many decades exceeds the growth rate of world GDP.

This trend will continue in the future. According to the World Bank, if by 2030 the volume of the world economy doubles (compared to 2005) to $72 trillion, then the volume of world trade over the same period will triple to $27 trillion. the same period, the debt of international trade in the world economy will grow by 2030 from 25 to more than 33%.

Consider the features of modern world trade.

1. The degree of involvement of all countries of the world in its orbit is growing, but significant differences between them still remain.

Thus, the ratio of the volume of foreign trade to GDP, which characterizes the tightness of the connection of national economies with the world market, at the beginning of the 20th century. the United States had 24%, the Netherlands - 100, Canada - 73, Russia - 42, China - 40, Hong Kong - 285, India - 27, Egypt - 46, Israel - 69%, etc. .

For many countries, foreign trade is the supporting structure of the national economy, a factor that determines their well-being and development opportunities. This is especially true for the states of Europe, which, due to the limited capacity of national markets, without it, do not have the opportunity to organize mass production modern products.

In the future, the degree of dependence of these countries on external relations will only increase, as their economy has more and more specific gravity are occupied by knowledge-intensive industries, the development of which is possible only on the basis of the international division of labor and cooperation.

Developing countries are mainly dependent on the export of any one type of raw material (for example, Ghana has more than 60% of exports of cocoa beans, Colombia has coffee, Zambia has 89% of its volume is copper, etc.).

The exception is the group of newly industrialized countries specializing in the export of labour-intensive and, more recently, knowledge-intensive industrial goods.

• 2. The positions of the main participants in the world market are constantly changing. In particular, today the offensive of the states of Southeast Asia is intensifying, primarily the new industrial countries of the second generation (Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand).
• 3. The trade volume of developing countries is growing rapidly. Thus, the share of Asian states (excluding Japan) in world trade exceeded the share of North America and continues to grow. Their main business partners are the countries of Western Europe, and not only textiles and other traditional goods are exported there, but also complex products, including means of production.
• 4. There is a relative reduction in trade in raw materials (except for fuel) and an increase in the international exchange of finished products (during the post-war period, the share of raw materials in the value of world exports decreased from 3/5 to Y 3> and the share of finished industrial products increased to 2/3), the share which by 2015 will be 87%.

The reasons for this situation are:

• expanding the production of synthetic materials;
• transition to resource-saving technologies;
• miniaturization of modern machinery and equipment, reducing the need for raw materials;
• industrialization of agriculture in developed countries, which increased their self-sufficiency in food products, due to which

deliveries of the latter from developing countries, traditionally specialized in the production of this type of goods, have become

shrink.

At the same time, trade in durable goods and new types of industrial products (including heavy industries) between developed countries increased.

• 5. Trade in the products of industries is increasing high technology as well as patents, licenses, etc.
• 6. Further growth in the volume of international trade via the Internet is expected. They are used by largest companies the world as General Motors, Ford, Renault, Nissan and others. This segment of the virtual market is estimated at 300 billion dollars (one third of the entire world market for automotive components).

If in 1994 the Internet had only 3 million users, then in 1998 there were already 100 million of them, and in 2012 at least about 2.1 billion. world wide web doubles every hundred days. No more or less serious business becomes impossible outside the Internet.

7. There has been a change in the territorial orientation of international trade.

Within the framework of industrialized countries, 60% of world exports are realized and only 15% of goods go to developing countries. Mutual trade between industrialized countries accounts for more than half of world trade. The most intensive are the commodity flows within Western Europe (especially between the EU countries), between Western Europe and the USA, between the USA and Canada, between Japan and Western Europe.

The directions of the current development of international trade are unfavorable for developing countries, which specialize in the production of a narrow range of goods, world demand for which is growing slowly.

These countries are particularly sensitive to the protectionism of developed countries.

• 8. The structure of international trade has changed. If earlier it was dominated by raw materials and final products, now, due to the emergence of a detail, node, operational separation labor increased the exchange of semi-finished products, intermediate products.
• 9. Changes are taking place in trade and economic relations between developed and developing countries (the agrarian and raw material specialization of the latter is supplemented by the production of material-intensive and labor-intensive products of the manufacturing industries.
• 10. Methods become different competition in foreign markets (price competition is replaced by non-price competition in the field of quality and novelty, reliability, design, economy and environmental friendliness).
• 11. Widespread is the so-called counter trade, which in the early 90s. 20th century accounted for, according to some estimates, 40% of world trade (in 1976 - 2%). It assumes that the buyer finances part of the purchase with the proceeds from the sale of his goods on the foreign market with the help of the seller.

More than 90 countries around the world have adopted state laws obliging their importers to make purchases abroad only in conjunction with the counter obligations of foreign exporters.

The most common in the practice of countertrade are barter transactions (non-currency equivalent exchange of goods), counter-purchases of exporters for a part of the cost of the supplied goods, compensation agreements involving the repayment of a financial or commodity loan by deliveries of goods produced on equipment purchased on account of the loan.

12. A significant increase in the volume of exports and imports of services (foreign tourism, international and transit transport, insurance, healthcare, training, software computing technology).

In table. 6.1 shows the world export of services.

Table 6.1

World export of services, 1990-2012, billion dollars

Services list	years
All types of services
Transport
including passenger
Other modes of transport
Trips
Government Services
Other types of services

Services account for about 25% of total world exports and continue to grow at a faster rate than foreign trade. The reasons for this are:

• a sharp reduction in transport costs, which increased the mobility of producers and consumers of services;
• increase in the volume of financial, insurance and other operations;
• transition to the information society.

These trends could not but affect the world trade turnover. Thus, the volume of industrial products in the supply structure begins to prevail over raw materials, including food and fuel.