ASSESSING EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS IN THE CONTEXT OF GROWTH IN EMERGING ECONOMIES. THE EXAMPLE OF UKRAINE

The purpose of this article is to clarify the content of the concept of "competitiveness", to develop and test approaches to assess the importance of basic, price and non-price competitiveness of commodity exports to ensure its dynamics on the example of Ukraine. Methodology. The article proposes to expand the content of the concept of "competitiveness" by generalizing the level of compliance of goods (services) with consumer preferences of market participants. This conceptual position is used to enhance the understanding of basic, non-price and price competitiveness of products and to clarify methods for its evaluation. The results of testing the methodology and technique showed that the cyclical process of alternating growth of non-price or price competitiveness of Ukrainian export products is mainly interrupted. The reason for this is the high price competitiveness of raw material exports, which is achieved mainly at the expense of low wages in the economy. On international markets, non-price competitiveness is inherent in a relatively small number of commodity groups of Ukrainian products. These include: insulated wires, cables and other insulated electrical conductors; fiber optic cables; turbojet engines, turboprops and other gas turbines; electric heating appliances and devices; parts of aircraft. Practical implications. It has been substantiated that in terms of finding a new economic growth strategy for Ukraine, the most relevant issues are not the intensification of export activities, but the renewal of the composition of the largest export commodity groups. The leading positions among them should be taken by goods with a large share of added value, increased technological complexity and non-price competitiveness. Value/originality. The beginning of this process will mean the emergence of new qualitative changes in the economy, as well as the effectiveness of the state policy of economic reforms.