Enabling trade index of Ukraine: realities and prospects - Статья

In the current conditions of globalization the entry of countries into the world economy is an objective trend. In this connection it is important to understand the place that Ukraine occupies, as well as the degree of involvement into the world trade, realities and prospects of this process. Analysis of recent research and publications. Today there are a number of well-known indexes for evaluation the countrys position in various fields on a worldwide scale including Global Competitiveness Index, Global Innovation Index, Enabling Trade Index, Index of Economic Freedom, Logistics Performance Index, Doing Business Index, Investment Attractiveness Index, Human Development Index and many others. All of them provide an opportunity to see the position of Ukraine in the world ranking of countries. In the conditions of the internationalization of production and capital, expansion of transnationalization the interdependence and complementarity of national systems is enhanced. As a result the determination of actual positions of Ukraine in the foreign trade and prospects of their changes is relevant. Main goal of our research is the theoretical overview of enabling trade index and its practical application in the case of Ukraine, analysis of the factors which positively and negatively influence on export and import operations in Ukraine and determine the competitive position of the country. As was noted by authors of The Global Enabling Trade Report 2014, this index “provides a reminder of the fundamental attributes that govern a nation’s ability to benefit from trade. Since its introduction in 2008 it has become a widely used reference, forming part of the toolbox of many countries in their efforts to benefit from trade and helping companies with their investment decisions”. The researchers explain their work as follows: “our experience from working with business and governments to foster change is that trade in goods has indeed become intricately intertwined with crossborder investment, trade in services and the international movement of workers”. As it is known in December 2013, the 159 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) adopted the so-called “Bali Package” during the Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference. “The culmination of nine years of negotiations, the package contains a series of measures to streamline trade, allow developing countries more options for providing food security, boost least-developed countries’ trade and help development more generally. The adoption of the package has instilled new momentum into the troubled multilateral trading system (MTS), at a time when international governance in general continues to struggle”. As part of the Bali Package, WTO members adopted the Trade Facilitation Agreement, which contains provisions for faster and more efficient customs procedures through effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. It also contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building. The measures include not only those related to market access, such as tariffs and nontariff barriers, but also those that facilitate trade at the more practical level, with more efficient border administration, better infrastructure and telecommunications and improved regulatory and security regimes that secure property rights and reduce transactions costs. The importance and the need to calculate the Enabling Trade Index, researchers explain to that “since 2008, throughout the Great Recession and in its aftermath, trade has contributed to averting a deeper crisis, as countries around the world have resisted protectionism. Today, as the world is grappling with economic uncertainty, geopolitical upheaval, social tensions and humanitarian crises, trade remains a vector of peace, development, prosperity and opportunity”. The Global Enabling Trade Report (GETR) series has been published by the World Economic Forum since 2008, initially on an annual basis, and biennially since 2010. From the beginning, the assessment has been based on the Enabling Trade Index (ETI). The index was developed within the context of the World Economic Forum’s Enabling Trade program. It should be noted participation in the development of the index of such leading world organizations and companies like A.P. Mцller Maersk, AB Volvo, Agility, Brightstar Corp., Deutsche Post DHL, DNB ASA, Emirates Group, International Container Terminal Services Inc., Royal Vopak, Stena AB, Swiss International Airlines Ltd, Transnet SOC Ltd, UPS and Volkswagen AG. The ETI assesses the extent to which economies have in place institutions, policies, infrastructures and services facilitating the free flow of goods over borders and to their destination. This set of trade-enabling factors are organized in four main categories (or subindexes): market access, border administration, infrastructure and operating environment.