Trade openness of the Russian regions: Transformations over time and influence of border location

Abstract

Introduction. The foreign economic activity of Russia is significantly changing in the current geopolitical context. At the same time, the Russian regions are unevenly integrated into foreign markets.

Purpose. The paper aims at assessing trade openness of the regions in terms of their transformations with the focus on the border regions which are considered to be potential leaders of the foreign trade.

Materials and Methods. Trade openness of the Russian regions was analyzed with statistical indicators for exports and imports in 2010, 2015, and 2021. A hierarchical cluster analysis defined typology by the regions’ openness. This methodological approach deepened the analysis of the regions’ trade openness, including the border ones, and helped to comply cartographic models for the spatial organizations of the regions in question.

Results. The study shows a relative stability of the leading, middle and lagging regions by their trade openness for the period under review. The leaders were characterized as the regions with high socio-economic indicators and developed infrastructure, as well as the cities of federal significance, while the regions with low indicators for socio-economic development turned out to be the outsiders. From a geographical perspective, changes in foreign trade activity in general and in different parts of the border are determined. The border location opportunities turned out to be not fully implemented in many parts of the border, although the study revealed that the regions located in various sections of the border showed the highest level of trading activity in time periods under analysis, which could also be explained by the geopolitical factor.

Conclusion. The results of the study demonstrate the transformation of the Russian space in terms of the regions’ economic openness. The proposed methodological tools can be used to continue monitoring these changes, especially in the current period of geopolitical shocks, to develop the most appropriate management decisions in setting the goals and priorities of foreign economic policy, including the ones at the regional level.

Keywords: region, border region, center, periphery, economic openness, trade openness, economic security, foreign trade, transformation of regional economic systems, typology

For citation

Vasilieva A. V., Moroshkina M. V. Trade openness of the Russian regions: Transformations over time and influence of border location. Perm University Herald. Economy, 2023, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 374–388. DOI 10.17072/1994-9960-2023-4-374-388. EDN NXRITM.

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