International economy: deepening and expanding research potential in Ukraine

The topical issues of the development of the research potential of Ukraine in the field of international economics , capable of creating scientific support for the foreign economic activity of entrepreneurial structures and government organizations in the context of world and European integration, have been investigated. The creation of the infrastructure of research organizations specializing in the international economics has been substantiated, in particular, the feasibility of creating research institutes in the USA and Canada, Europe, and the Center for International Agricultural Business. The article considers the expediency of conducting research on the issues of cooperation with interstate integration associations of countries, including the EU, ASEAN, TPP, APEC, BRICS, for the implementation of the country's foreign economic policy. A special place in the system of international economics research should be occupied by the problems of Industry 4.0 and the leadership of Ukrainian IT companies in the system of global economic competition. The state of the staffing of research activities in international economics is analyzed and proposals for training of highly qualified specialists in international economics in large industrial centers: Kharkov, L’viv. Dnieper, Odessa and Zaporizhia are formulated.

The U.S. and China in India’s Foreign Economic Policy: In Quest of Balance for Maintaining Strategic Autonomy

The paper investigates trade and investment relations between India and its two major trading partners, viz. the U.S. and China in the 2000-2010s. On the basis of mixed method research with equal use of quantitative and qualitative, as well as historical and statistical methods, the authors estimate the possibilities for expanding interstate interactions and the difficulties the countries might face. By comparing the scale and particulars of the product structure of Indo-American and Indo-Chinese trade, the authors reveal that intra-industry trade between India and the United States is at a fairly high level, which, in turn, is not typical for the trade between India and China, which is mostly inter-industry due to the sluggish cooperation of Indian and Chinese entrepreneurs. The authors assess the intensity of the Indo-American and Indo-Chinese bilateral trade between 2000-2018 by means of indices of intensity of Indias exports and imports to / from the USA and China, as well as indices of intensity of exports and imports of its partners to / from India. The obtained results outline the upward trend of the share of Indian exports to the U.S. relative to other countries, which indicates that India is successfully conquering the U.S. market, and Indian goods are becoming increasingly competitive. Meanwhile, the volume of Indian-Chinese trade remains on a much lower level than it could be expected with the current share of India in the world trade. In the meantime, neither for the United States nor for China, India is a dominant partner. The article also investigates major obstacles hindering the development of both Indo-American and Indo-Chinese bilateral relations. The obtained results enable the authors to predict that in the short- and mid-term economic cooperation between India and its leading partners is likely to strengthen, with India keeping striving for standing neuter while building the two most crucial vectors of its foreign economic policy.

Instruments for implementing China's economic interests in the developing countries on the example of Sub-Saharan Africa

The article examines Chinas foreign economic policy in the developing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of the study is to determine what financial and nonfinancial instruments the PRC uses to implement its economic interests in the region. The relevance of the study is due to the increased role of China in the economies of the region, its active investment and lending policy, which in theory can lead to the emergence of debt traps, and the spread of soft power. To determine the scale of interaction, a general statistical analysis of trade and economic cooperation between the PRC and the countries of the region is provided, and its structure is determined. The institutional framework is studied, for example, the China - Africa Cooperation Forum, and the main instruments which are used to implement the economic interests of the PRC are given, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and investments within its framework, credit policy, assistance in the creation of SEZ, individual elements of soft power. The systematization of such instruments makes it possible to assess Chinas place in the region in more detail and identify potential risks for developing countries. The implications of the utilization of such instruments in the context of the economic development and economic security of African countries are determined based on the results of the study.

Making ideas actionable in institutionalism: the case of trade liberalization in Kennedy's foreign economic policy

This article challenges exclusively rationalist accounts of and offers a complementary explanation for the emergence of liberal trade policy in the Kennedy administration. I draw on recent insights in constructivist institutionalism to emphasize the need to take agency seriously in institutionalist research. Using archival records, I analyze the decisive role Kennedy's advisers played as carriers of ideas in advocating for liberal trade policy by ‘constructing the national interest’, thus convincing a reticent president to support attempts aimed at achieving closer economic integration, culminating in the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Insights from their role as advisers can help in specifying the role of agency in the ideas and institutional change literature, through strategic action which shaped a political leader's belief and put political issues on the agenda. By grasping agency in terms of making ideas actionable, an important step is taken in advancing endogenous approaches of institutional change.

The EAEU and the OPOP – How Can the Superpowers of Eurasia Interact Within the Framework of Integration Projects

Introduction: Russia and China are two extremely powerful countries on the Eurasian continent. The interaction of these superpowers is fraught with risks and difficulties, especially in those conditions when both sides are pursuing their own goals. For the People’s Republic of China, the basis of foreign economic policy is the OPOP project, which combines logistics, trade, and investment components. China’s main goal is to promote it and create conditions for its most effective implementation in Eurasia. For Russia, the most important is a less ambitious institution – the EAEU, which serves to promote the interests of the Russian Federation in the countries closest to Russia’s partners. Purpose: to identify the benefits and risks of interaction between the EAEU and the OPOP and offer the cooperation tools that minimize risks. Methods: the research is based on general scientific methods, in particular, deduction; the statistical method of linear regression and the analysis of the synergetic results of economic development are also used. Results: the interaction of the two projects of the Eurasian superpowers is inevitable, and therefore it is extremely important for Russia and the EAEU to properly develop a partnership with the PRC, as well as to soberly assess the existing risks. The EAEU needs the growth drivers today. Such a driver can be a partnership with the PRC and active participation in the OPOP. The proposed coupling strategy takes into account the risks of sinoization; respectively, to reduce them, it is proposed to strengthen the centripetal trends in the EAEU by the economic methods. Conclusions: the coupling of the EAEU and the OPOP is inevitable. It is accompanied by risks; at the same time, the risks of coupling do not outweigh its benefits. For the further development of the integration initiatives in Eurasia, it is necessary to strengthen the attractiveness of the Russian economy model for the EAEU countries.

The main trends in the development of export credit agencies in the world

Subject. This article discusses the features and trends in the development of export credit agencies (ECA) in the world in the context of increasing competition of manufacturers for market share. Objectives. The article aims to show the peculiarities of the ECA's activities, reveal new aspects of their operation in modern conditions, and substantiate the need to change the international agreement in the field of export crediting and insurance. Methods. For the study, I used the comparative, statistical, and formal and logical methods. Results. The article shows the key role of ECA as an institution of State support for exports and a guarantor of the stability of the international trading system. It also finds that increased competition from Chinese and other ECAs that are not subject to the Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits – OECD rules, as well as the expanded role of ECA during the pandemic, necessitate uniform approaches to State support for exports of domestic producers at the WTO level. Conclusions. ECAs’ support remains one of the effective tools in implementing the State foreign economic policy and increasing the international competitiveness of certain sectors of the economy. The need to improve international rules on export credit and insurance to ensure the stability and sustainable development of international trade is becoming increasingly apparent.

The Changing Nature of Irish International Development Policy

Ireland’s involvement in international development has become a significant aspect of its foreign economic policy. Its engagement has moved from priorities that were largely domestically determined in the early 1970s and based on bilateral relationships between Ireland as donor and the recipient programme countries, toward priorities and involvements within a multilateral policy framework. This has come about through Ireland’s increasing engagement with international organizations, particularly the UN and the EU. However as the boundaries blur between Overseas Development Aid (ODA) policy and shared global goals, such as addressing climate breakdown and mitigating the scale of international distributive inequality, this can lead to tensions within countries about the implications of international commitments for the priorities at play in domestic politics. This is evident where Ireland’s ODA-driven commitments in the international field are in tension with domestic policy priorities, but also where tension arises in the area of national economic development policy.