Improving Regulation of the EAEU Agri-Food Market

Abstract

The article examines the instruments of regulating foreign trade in agri-food products in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the directions of its development. The aim of the study is to identify key areas and develop recommendations for improving tariff and non-tariff measures of foreign trade regulation in agri-food products in the EAEU under conditions of sanctions pressure, deglobalization, and the need to accelerate import substitution. The methodological framework of the research is based on comparative and statistical analysis, as well as scenario modeling of the effects of changes in selected parameters of foreign trade regulation. The development of the agri-food market in the EAEU is of strategic importance given its social significance and the particular sensitivity of domestic demand, hence, there is a need to develop new instruments to protect the internal agri-food market of the EAEU member states from excessive foreign competition, reduce import dependence, and enhance export potential. The study employs production, consumption, self-sufficiency indicators, import dependence, and foreign trade flows across key segments of the EAEU agri-food market. The results substantiate proposals for adjusting in-quota tariff rates for meat products, increasing the specific component of import duties on certain types of fruit and vegetable products (tomatoes, cucumbers, apples), introducing seasonal duties on strawberries, establishing a quota for rice imports from India, and modifying the methodology for calculating export duties on grain by incorporating the share of value-added processed products in the export structure. Additionally, the study identifies institutional and infrastructural development directions aimed at enhancing the export potential of the EAEU. The findings can be applied in the development of foreign trade, agricultural, and integration policies of EAEU member states. It is concluded that improving the resilience of the EAEU agri-food market requires a comprehensive combination of tariff, quota, logistical, and institutional regulatory instruments.