Russian trade in agricultural products: current state and influences of trade integration.

Trade in agricultural products has become more and more internationalized and globalized. A global trading system is now both more free and fair than ever before, which will boost global prosperity and contribute significantly to global economic development. Favourable conditions for international trade in agricultural products include trade liberalization, trade unions and free trade areas. Most of the regulations on global market agricultural products are implemented by the World Trade Organization (WTO), which unites the majority of countries, including the main agricultural producers, exporters and importers. The WTO oversees issues such as trade regulation, sanitary control rules, custom duties and tariff quotas on imported agricultural production. It also oversees the structure, direction and dynamics of future trade in agricultural products. This chapter analyses the state of Russian foreign trade in agricultural products from 2002 to 2012 and investigates WTO threats to and opportunities for Russian agriculture and trade in the global market. This chapter examines state support of agricultural production in Russia and its influence on volume, direction, structure and effectiveness of international agricultural trade.