FOREIGN TRADE OF RUSSIA IN 2018: THE RISE CONTINUES
The article analyzes current trends in the dynamics and geographical structure of foreign trade relations of the Russian Federation, which appeared in 2018 as a continuation of the breakthrough achievements of Russia in this area in the preceding 2017. The past year was characterized by new, generally positive, shifts in the foreign trade of the Russian Federation, despite the rather tough conditions of the extension of anti-Russian restriction measures by the world's leading trade contractors – the United States, the European Union, Japan and other major suppliers to international product markets. At the same time, it should be taken into consideration that quite noticeable successes in Russian foreign trade practice were accompanied by other positive results in the development of the country's economy. Such circumstances are of particular importance in the context of the manifestation and growth in recent years of increasing uncertainty, unpredictability and, as a consequence, the general «turbulence» in the systems of the world economy and international economic relations. Therefore, the need for researching new trends gaining weight in the sphere of export-import contacts of theRussian Federationat the stage of exacerbation of the situation in the global commodity exchange is now quite naturally actualized.