FOREIGN TRADE RELATIONS AS AN INTEGRATIVE CATEGORY: ECONOMIC, LEGAL, AND POLITICAL DIMENSIONS
Abstract
As a result of the study, it was found that foreign trade relations constitute a complex integrative category formed at the intersection of economic, legal, and political sciences. Their essence lies not only in the cross-border exchange of goods and services, but also in the formation of a system of economic, legal, and institutional linkages among actors of different nationalities under conditions of global interdependence. The modern interpretation of foreign trade relations encompasses both traditional forms of exchange in tangible goods and new manifestations of interaction in the digital economy, services, and cross-border data flows. A historical and theoretical analysis of the evolution of approaches to understanding foreign trade relations has shown that, over the development of economic thought – from classical political economy to contemporary theories of digital globalization – the content of this category has undergone significant changes. The initial perception of international trade as a zero-sum exchange of resources gradually evolved toward recognition of mutually beneficial interaction, an expansion of trade to intangible assets, and an awareness of the critical role of institutional factors in shaping countries’ international competitiveness. Based on the conducted content analysis, the paper proposes the author’s definition of foreign trade relations as a system of economic interactions among states, business entities, and households aimed at the exchange of goods, services, capital, and data across national borders and operating within global institutional norms. The proposed definition reflects the latest transformations of the world economy, emphasizes the importance of digitalization and integration processes, and provides methodological prerequisites for further research in the field of international economic relations. The key differences between the author’s definition of the term “foreign trade relations” and established definitions, as well as the main advantages of the proposed definition of the category “foreign trade relations,” are identified. Examples of contemporary manifestations of foreign trade relations according to the author’s definition are provided.
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