Foreign trade activity of Ukraine’s regions

Abstract

Background. The agreement on free trade zone opens great opportunities for the development of export-import activities in the regions of Ukraine. International trade is an important component of any state economy, which depends on the contribution and interaction of all regions in the country. Therefore, the study of indicators of export and import of goods and services in the regions of the countries, especially of Ukraine, which is in difficult economic and political situation, is undoubtedly relevant.
The aim of this work is the determination of the rating of Ukraine’s regions by indicators: export and import of goods and services, balance for trading activity and the construction of a nonlinear structure of regions relations by these parameters, which can be used for designing of clusters of regions interaction in international trade.
Materials and methods. Information basis for calculations and comparative analysis with indicators of 2014 was the official website of the State statistics Committee of Ukraine. For the integral study of the trade process in the regions of Ukraine the method of multidimensional comparative analysis was applied – a method of taxonomy.
Results. International trade was considered in the regions of Ukraine in 2015. The multivariate analysis of the condition of trade in all regions was conducted by method of taxonomy. There were selected signs for these objects: export, import of services, export and import of goods, balance of trade in services and balance of trade in goods. The rate of development for each region was determined by using standardized matrices of statistical data and its ranking was carried out. Non-linear structure of relations between the regions was built based on the calculated matrix of distances between the regions by six selected signs-indicators and by 4 first signs. Based on them the clusters of regions can be formed, taking into account the dynamics of trade and other economic activity.
Conclusions. In the regions of Ukraine the reduction trend of export and import of goods and services doesn’t change and the regional imbalance of international trade stays permanent. Developed linear and non-linear structure of the regions relations of Ukraine can become the basis for creative cooperation in trade sphere, be used for performing of single investment projects and regulate the flow of commodity exchange between regions of Ukraine. With the formation of clusters, the authors recommend to combine the study of the linear structure of relations (an index of development level of trade in the region) and non-linear structure of relations: the gradual rupture of the largest distances between regions, the clusters-assemblages of the first order and also consider the geographical location of regions. In the further development of regional cluster structure of trade of Ukraine it is planned to combine the study of external and internal commercial activity of the regions.