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Section 5. Economic security
https ://doi.org/10.29013/EJEMS-23-1-38-42
Muratova Shokhista N.., DSc in Economics, professor Customs Institute of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan,
OPPORTUNITIES AND PROSPECTS FOR "GREEN" EXPORT OF CONSUMER GOODS
Abstract. The article discusses the process of implementing the foreign trade policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan and foreign countries, in particular the European Union in modern conditions. This process is significantly affected by the slowdown in export growth rates in industry and the need to increase sales of high-tech goods to ensure sustainable growth of the national economy and its competitiveness in the world. The European "Green Deal" requires the introduction of green technologies into domestic production involved in the creation of export goods. The article clarifies the concept of "green" export and considers it in economic and customs aspects.
Keywords: finished product exports, the European "Green Deal", "green" exports, economic security, "green" technologies, the European Union, foreign trade policy, industrial goods exports, "Green Customs", circular economy.
I. Introduction In the context of global development, the foreign
In the period of globalization of the world econ- trade policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan is based on
omy, the active integration of countries into the trad- the implementation of its effective participation in the
ing space in order to develop national economies is international division of labor. A significant potential
accompanied by economic and political processes. for the integration of our country into international
The adoption of the Development Strategy of the production processes lies in the trade and economic co-
new Uzbekistan for 2022-2026 is of particular im- operation between our country and foreign countries,
portance for our country. Moreover, this document despite the strong export positions of its participants. sets a number of tasks to further increase the export Currently, about 67% (USD11229.0 million in
potential of the republic and bring the volume of ex- 2021) of exports go to foreign countries and 33%
ports of the republic in 2026 to 30 billion US dollars. (USD5433.8 million in 2021) to the CIS countries.
At the same time, the goal was set to increase the Of the countries of the European Union (hereinafter
share of finished products and semi-finished prod- referred to as the EU), the important trading part-ucts in the export structure by 3.3 times, to expand ners of the Republic of Uzbekistan are Belgium, Bul-
exports of finished products to European countries garia, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, France, the Czech
within the GSP+ system [1]. Republic and Estonia [2].
II. Literature review
For our country, the reorientation of exports to the EU from the commodity groups of the extractive industry to the commodity groups of the manufacturing industry, produced, including with the use of "green" technologies is of particular importance. This circumstance is determined by the terms of the European "Green Deal", which involves the transition to a "clean" circular economy, the restoration of biodiversity and the reduction of environmental pollution [3].
Today, the EU positions itself as a leader in international climate policy, defining the environment as one of the important principles of relations with third countries in international trade. It is proposed to make the Paris Agreement the basis of international trade agreements. This will entail an increase in the EU requirements for products imported into its territory, as well as a reduction in volumes or refusal to import certain types of raw materials, goods manufactured using "non-ecological" technologies.
In preparing this article, the goal was to identify the main problems and determine the prospects for the development of exports to the EU countries in the context of sustainable development.
In the scientific literature, "green" exports are understood as goods that are competitive on the world market and meet the requirements of "environmental" cleanliness (the intensity of CO2 emissions during export) [4]. A number of researchers analyze the impact of "green" industrial policy on the competitiveness of "green" exports [5].
The results of studying samples of historical and philosophical thought testify to the differentiation of factors in the development of "green" exports depending on the level of development and implementation of environmentally friendly technologies, type ofproduct, industry, type of region and its geographical location. Studies of the business strategy of "green" exports in developing countries allow us to conclude that organizational resources, enterprise capabilities and significant pressure from stakeholders on the export market and business financial performance are positive [6].
The results of the analysis of sources indicate the attention of the scientific community to the problem of introducing "green" technologies [7; 8], the principles of "green" logistics [9].
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), green technologies involve economic growth while preserving the environment. All these are the principles of a "green" economy characterized by low carbon, resource efficiency and social inclusiveness.
R. Fyuks proposes to carry out the ecological transformation of the capitalism of the EU countries on the basis of their consolidation and intensification of investments in "green" technologies [10]. Y. Scheffi and E. Blanco explore the conditions for the introduction of this type of technology in private production [11]. The balance of commercial and "green" interests is achieved by controlling the supply chain of raw materials, semi-finished products, applied technologies, etc.
From an economic point of view, exports are goods produced and exported from the territory of the country for sale in a foreign country. However, in the legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, when determining exports, emphasis is placed on the export of goods outside the customs territory without the obligation to re-import them [12].
III. Analysis and results
To achieve the goal of the study, we will consider the production of goods using zero environmental impact technologies as one of the stages of export. This is justified by the tightening of international standards (in the EU countries) for imported products, according to which the supplier is required to indicate the technologies used for the production, storage and movement of goods.
In customs, export is a procedure applied to goods exported from the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan for permanent residence outside it. Logistics involves the delivery of goods when exported from one country to another. The adoption of the European "Green pact" will update the use of
"green" technologies at each stage of export implementation. We understand "green" export as a process based on environmentally friendly technologies for the production of goods, their customs clearance and logistics for the purpose of export and sale in a foreign country. That is, this process will consist of the following 5 stages: EU market selection - Production according to EU requirements - Customs clearance - Delivery / logistics - Payment.
In accordance with the legal documents of the Republic of Uzbekistan, export includes the export and customs clearance of goods. The stage of production is not taken into account in its definition. In our opinion, in the conditions when importing countries (the EU) of goods impose high environmental requirements on the technologies used by manufacturers, it is especially important to take into account the stage of production of goods in the export model, focusing on the use of "green" technologies.
The level of development of "green" exports is a synergistic effect ofthe use of environmental technologies at its identified stages. The degree of development and implementation of "green" technologies in production, logistics and customs clearance is different. In logistics, "green" transformations are assessed as effective and sufficiently developed [13]. "Green" technologies in customs are: electronic declaration system; introduction of artificial intelligence; modern inspection and screening complexes, etc.
The main factors for the introduction of "green" technologies in customs practice are the level of development of such technologies and funding from the state budget. According to experts (participants
The main socio-economic factors in the development of "green" technologies are the insignificant
in foreign economic activity, customs specialists) [14], "green" technologies in the customs service are quite effective. In terms of importance in the triad of "green" exports, the manufacturing sector occupies a special place due to the creation of an export object, the existence of contradictions between profit maximization and environmental protection, the tightening of international requirements for product quality and production technologies, etc. For the greening of industries, experts [15] propose measures that provide short-term benefits (increased energy efficiency, appropriate management of natural resources, voluntary sustainability standards, the introduction of eco-labels, etc.) in order to develop strategic solutions for "green" industrial policy. The proposed model covers the entire life cycle of the exported product and promotes the use of a systematic approach in the development of measures to stimulate "green" exports.
As known, at the session of the WCO Council "Green Customs" was adopted as one of the priorities of the Strategic Plan, and therefore, in order to raise awareness of the role of customs in protecting the environment and hear the expectations of customs from a number of stakeholders in June in 2022, the WCO organized the Global Conference on Green Customs. The discussion platforms discussed the concept of the circular economy and its implications for customs. New trends in trade related to the circular economy (recycling, reuse, repair and recovery of goods) were considered, as well as key challenges of the transition to a circular economy, including the lack of data to track and monitor the ecological footprint of trade [16].
demand from society for "green" goods, the predominance of resource-intensive industries that re-
Table 1. - Dynamics of export of goods from the Republic of Uzbekistan to the EU countries in 2017-2021*
Indicators 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Volume, mln. USD 472.3 650.1 635.2 452.3 637.3
Growth rate,% - 37.6 -2.3 -28.8 40.9
* compiled by the author according to [2]
quire large investments for rebirth. Let's analyze the indicators of export of goods from the Republic of Uzbekistan to the EU countries (Table 1).
Analysis of Table 1 shows that in 2019-2020 the volume of exports of goods from the Republic of Uzbekistan, respectively, decreased in 2019 by -2.3% and in 2020 by -28.8%. In general, the decrease in the value of exports in 2019-2020 was due primarily to quarantine conditions undertaken by importing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applying the principles of sustainable development, it is time to determine the prospects for the development of "green" exports of the Republic of Uzbekistan. One of the supplied goods of a high level of environmental friendliness is mineral fuel, cotton knitwear, since many enterprises in these industries work with foreign investment and are export-oriented; they are highly motivated to introduce "green" technologies into production.
European countries are developing "green" nano-technologies in order to create more efficient solar and practical fuel cells, environmentally friendly batteries. "Green" nanotechnologies are also widely demanded in society in the field of water treatment [17].
A promising domestic export product is electric vehicles. The use of electric vehicles also seems to be relevant for the global economy. However, the production of batteries for this mode of transport is energy and carbon intensive. According to research, the cost and production volume of lithium batteries will continue to increase. Rechargeable batteries account for half of the global use of lithium and 40% of cobalt; however, most of it is used in consumer electronics and only a small part in electric vehicle batteries. The situation may change due to the growth of
sales of electric vehicles in Europe. In the period up to 2030, their production volumes will increase by 25 times, and the demand for lithium and cobalt will increase sharply [18]. Assessment of the competitive advantages of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the production and export of batteries for electric vehicles, battery charging infrastructure elements, etc. should be of interest to experts in this field.
IV. Conclusion and discussions
In the course of this study, the main problems in the development of "green" exports of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the EU countries were identified:
1. Insufficient investment in "green" technologies, which makes it difficult to re-equip small and medium-sized enterprises. Today, "green" export is the prerogative of big business.
2. Low demand from domestic consumers for environmentally friendly products.
3. Lack of a business-friendly information and business platform.
4. Uncomfortable conditions for businesses engaged in "green" exports. A "horizontal industrial policy" is needed.
5. The main target is small and medium enterprises, not large companies. "Green" export is a fairly young direction of foreign economic activity, so there is a need for analysis, identification of external and internal threats, development prospects.
In the EU countries, a "cyclical economy" and waste-free production have been developed and are being implemented. In order to achieve the priority of "green" exports in the sphere of foreign trade of our country in the long term, the national economy requires a restructuring of all areas: cultural, technological, educational, economic, etc.
References:
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