Trade facilitation is one of the key trends in the international trading system development. Respective World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement – Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) is one of really few tangible achievements during Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations. Russian Federation, being a full-fledged member of the organization from 2012, signed and ratified it. Trade facilitation per se could help to improve key indicators of Russian foreign trade and hence contribute national economy performance in general.

A descriptive analysis of foreign trade statistics of developing countries shows that among the customs unions (CU) member states, the majority are primarily exporters of commodities (their share in exports is above 50%), while countries whose exports are dominated by processed products prefer to conclude free trade agreements. It is well known that raw materials and fuel dominate in the export of most countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The author compares two types of regional trade agreements (RTA) in Latin America. First (historically) - based on Balassa scheme and leading to the customs unions, and second, going in line with open regionalism. He tests the correlation of the participation of countries to the first (more closed) or second types of RTA with the product structure of their export, and finds, that exporters of commodities tend to prefer customs unions.

Regional trade could be a powerful engine of economic growth and sustainable job creation. However, South Africa’s exports to sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are typically smaller and more short-lived than its exports to its traditional markets. This is despite South African policymakers considering trade with SSA to be a priority. The aim of the article is to evaluate South Africa’s utilisation of sustained export potential in SSA with a view to providing practical insights that will inform future policymaking and planning.

The economies of southern Africa all face significant development challenges, not helped by the fact that many of these countries are ill-prepared for the demands of the rapidly advancing digital era. Given its heterogeneous membership and therefore sensitivity towards the awkward dynamic between traditional and new technologies, the G20 is well placed to assist southern Africa in leveraging the power of the digital economy and making the transition into the future.