Foreign Economic Activities of Ukraine: Regional Features, Trends and Directions for Development

The article substantiates modern peculiarities and tendencies in the sphere of foreign economic activity of economic regions of Ukraine according to the main indicators. It is established that three out of nine economic regions are import-oriented (Capital, Carpathian, Northwestern), six – are export-oriented (Donetsk, Pridneprovskyi, Northeastern, Central, Podilsky, Black Sea). However, the export potential is not fully realized. Economic regions have shown positive growth rates since 2016 in terms of imports and in 2017 in terms of exports. The highest growth rates of imports were observed in export- oriented regions. At this time, no region has reached the baseline level of 2013 in terms of absolute growth in both exports and imports. The analysis of the commodity structure of exports and imports according to the Standard International Trade Classification UNCTАD, in compliance to which 225 categories of goods are divided into six groups: А – the main products of consumption, food; В – labour-intensive and resource-intensive production; С – production with low skills and low technology intensity; D – production with average skill level and average technological intensity; E – productions that use highly skilled labour and have a high technological level; F – unclassified goods. It has been proven that in the export of most regions, with the exception of Donetsk and Pridneprovskyi regions, commodities of category A with low added value prevail, as well as labour-intensive and resource-intensive categories of B, and finished goods of categories B and D dominate in import. The instruments of the mechanism of economic development for restoring the status of Ukraine as an export-oriented state are offered, such as development and further implementation according to clear indicators of Export Development Programs by economic regions; development of a strategy of competitiveness of Ukraine in the global world, and on the basis of it – specific programs for economic regions, coordinated with export development Programs; creation of a favourable institutional environment for business development, support of its competitive strategies for the formation of certain competitive advantages for regional business; use of public-private partnership for specific programs and business plans aimed at increasing export potential and import substitution. The implementation of the instruments in practice will contribute to the socio-economic development of the regions and the state.