World market blankets and rugs

Abstract

Background. Analysis of trends and processes in international trade allows to be an active participant in international trade relations. Light industry of Ukraine has strong production capacity and examination of the situation on the world market of blankets and rugs will let adequately respond to changes in the world market and to meet the demand.
The aim of the article is the analysis of export-import operations with blankets and rugs on the world market to identify possible directions for development of Ukraine’s export potential and outlining possible product range for export.
Material and methods. Methods of logical analysis, synthesis of scientific literature, statistics of exports and imports have been used; Market Analysis Tools of the International Trade Centre have been applied.
The most used classification of goods for conducting international trade statistics The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) was used to analyze trade flows of blankets and rugs in the world.
Results. World import volumes of blankets and rugs have increased three times for the past 15 years, in particular, if in 2002 import volumes amounted to 1.3 billion USD, in 2016 this index was at 3.9 billion USD. Annual growth of import volumes of blankets and rugs from 4% to 24% was observed from 2002 to 2008, the global crisis affected imports that decreased in in 2009. In the following years, imports of blankets and rugs recovered and continued its annual growth.
Over the past five years the largest importers of blankets and rugs are steadily the USA, the UAE, Japan, Germany, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Spain, France, Canada and Australia. The USA share was the biggest in 2016.
The top ten countries exporting blankets and rugs to the world market are China, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Turkey, Spain, Korea, Belgium, Paraguay and the United States. The biggest exporter is China, which obtained 74% of the world market in 2016, other countries from the mentioned top-ten cover only about 12% of the world market. In 2016, Ukraine ranked 36th among countries exporting blankets and rugs. Trends of the recent years show that Ukraine exports mostly woollen blankets and rugs.
Blankets and rugs made of wool, cotton, synthetic and other fibers, and electric blankets are presented on the world market. Currently 73% of the world market is occupied by rugs and blankets made of synthetic fibres. In 2016, The United States is the largest consumer of blankets and rugs made of synthetic fibres among the top three importers of such goods.
The most open market for blankets and rugs from Ukraine is the EU market, where the rate of import duty for all kinds of them, are zero.
Conclusion. There are blankets and rugs made of wool, cotton, synthetic and other fibres and electrical blankets on the world market. Trends of the world market for blankets and rugs for the last fifteen years show a significant increase in demand for them, especially for products made of synthetic fibers, which occupy 73% of the world market.
In 2016 Ukraine exported blankets and rugs in the amount of 4.6 million USD, but not exhausted its potential. The country exports mainly woollen blankets and rugs, on the other hand, it is advisable to shift to the production and export of products from synthetic fibers and offer them for main customers: USA, UAE, Japan, Germany, Spain and others.
Tariff analysis showed that the EU offers the most favourable conditions for Ukrainian exports of blankets and rugs, where the import duty is zero. Electric blankets can be possible option for Ukrainian exports, and the United States can be potential consumer of them, at this case the rate of import duties (11.4%) should be the subject of negotiations between Ukraine and the United States.